From Survival to Supervision: How One Therapist Is Changing the Narrative on Relationships and Healing

NATIONWIDE - APRIL 2025 - (USAnews.com) - Bridget C. Duncan, LMFT, is a respected clinician, speaker, and published author, known for her deep commitment to advancing mental health awareness. As the founder of Duncan Therapy Services and the author of Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink! Duncan’s work blends clinical expertise with her personal experiences, offering a unique and authentic perspective on healing, relationships, and self-worth. Her book, Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink! Your Roadmap to Healthy, Balanced Relationships, published on Amazon, challenges individuals to recognize warning signs in their relationships and prioritize self-care and healthy boundaries.

Currently pursuing her Doctorate in Marriage and Family Therapy at Chaminade University, Duncan specializes in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), therapies that empower individuals, couples, and families to heal from past trauma and build lasting, healthy relationships. As a seasoned professional, Duncan’s work has extended beyond the therapy room to include advocacy and public speaking. She recently presented at the international IVAT Summit on April 9, 2025, with a session titled “Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink! Recognizing Red Flags to Reduce Inter-Partner Violence,” which garnered attention for its candid exploration of unhealthy relationship patterns and their impact.

Duncan’s personal story—shaped by both her work as a therapist and her experiences as a survivor of domestic abuse—resonates with many. Her professional expertise is complemented by her lived experience, providing a compassionate and culturally informed lens through which she approaches therapy. Duncan believes in the power of transformation, not just for surviving, but for thriving. This philosophy is at the core of her therapeutic practice and public outreach.

The underlying message of Duncan’s work is clear: healing is not just about survival; it’s about growth. In her practice, Duncan creates safe spaces for her clients to confront trauma, unlearn harmful patterns, and embrace their self-worth. This approach is unapologetically honest, and Duncan is known for her no-nonsense style of therapy, which encourages clients to face the truth of their experiences, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

Her book, Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink!, addresses a significant gap in relationship education by urging readers to recognize red flags they have been conditioned to normalize. Through a blend of clinical strategies and personal storytelling, Duncan teaches individuals how to stop excusing mistreatment in relationships and how to trust their intuition when something feels wrong. This work is personal to Duncan, as she understands what it means to navigate the complexities of relationships while healing from trauma. Her experience as a Black woman, a survivor, and a therapist uniquely positions her to offer a voice that is often underrepresented in traditional therapy spaces.

In addition to her clinical work, Duncan mentors and supervises new therapists, paying it forward by helping the next generation of mental health professionals navigate the challenges of the field. She is committed to ensuring that the work of healing and therapy is as diverse and inclusive as the clients it serves. Through her work with new therapists, Duncan emphasizes the importance of authenticity and cultural competence, helping them to show up more effectively for their clients.

Duncan’s approach to therapy is grounded in the belief that healing is a messy, non-linear process. She emphasizes that it requires honesty, intention, and a lot of grace. In her own words, “Healing doesn’t ask for perfection. It asks for honesty, intention, and a whole lot of grace.” This philosophy is central to her practice and the message she shares with her clients and the public. Healing, she asserts, is not about getting it right every time—it’s about showing up and doing the work, even when it feels difficult.

One of the guiding principles of Duncan’s work is the idea that “you can’t heal what you keep explaining away.” For Duncan, healing involves confronting the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. This is the foundation of Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink!, where she encourages readers to stop minimizing or explaining away behaviors that don’t serve their well-being.

Through her private practice and public speaking, Duncan’s message reaches a broad audience, including those who have struggled to recognize toxic patterns in their relationships. Duncan is passionate about breaking generational cycles of mistreatment and empowering people to reclaim their voices and their value. She is committed to helping individuals, particularly women, understand that they are worthy of love and respect and that they should not have to settle for anything less.

As a therapist, Duncan believes in the transformative power of self-empowerment. Her approach is not about offering quick fixes or superficial solutions; instead, she focuses on deep, meaningful change. She encourages clients to engage in the difficult work of unlearning old patterns, setting boundaries, and embracing their own worth.

Duncan’s journey as a therapist and advocate is one of resilience and purpose. She combines her lived experiences with clinical expertise to offer a unique and powerful message about healing, self-worth, and personal transformation. Her work continues to resonate with people who are ready to stop minimizing their truth in the name of love and relationships. As she states in Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink!, “We dye our red flags pink to fit our narrative—but rarely stop to ask if the narrative itself is wrong.” It is this kind of critical self-reflection that Duncan encourages in her clients and readers alike.

Duncan’s work also focuses on creating a healing space where both clients and therapists can learn and grow. Through her role as a clinical supervisor and mentor, she helps emerging therapists develop their own authentic approach to healing. This commitment to the next generation of mental health professionals ensures that Duncan’s influence will continue to shape the field of therapy for years to come.

Looking forward, Duncan plans to expand her impact through future speaking engagements, podcast work, and community outreach, further solidifying her role as a leading voice in mental health advocacy. Whether through her therapy practice, her book, or her public speaking, Duncan’s mission remains the same: to help individuals break free from unhealthy patterns, embrace their self-worth, and thrive in their relationships and lives.

Special Promotion: In celebration of Easter and the ongoing journey of healing, the eBook version of Stop Dyeing Red Flags Pink! will be available for free download on Amazon from April 20th through April 22nd. Don’t miss this opportunity to begin (or deepen) your path toward healthier, more empowered relationships.

For more information about Bridget C. Duncan and her work, visit her Amazon author page at Amazon, connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.