Intimate partner abuse is about control by a perpetrator and can happen to ANYONE - any gender, any personality type, any age, kind people, mousy people, strong, independent people, loud people, quiet people. My clinical work has been primarily with professional men and women, and the cases where subtle abuse by an intimate partner played a part in the issues that brought people to me were solely professional women. However, I wasn’t sure whether women who were successful in their work lives, educated to a high level, and seemly functioning well in life generally are affected by subtle forms of intimate partner abuse (IPA) in distinct ways. My doctorate at the University of East Anglia therefore focused on: • gaining an understanding of the phenomena of subtle abuse • understanding the experience of professional women. I heard from professional women that the fact they are successful in their education and work life led to distinct reflections and emotions around them being a victim of abuse. My research is supported by recent high-profile stories, such as ITV’s Breaking the Silence: Kate’s Story, where former MP Kate Kniveton gives a frank account of her experience of being abused and shamed into silence over ten years by her husband Andrew (https://www.truevisiontv.com/films/breaking-silence-kates-story), and Seema Haider’s article Courage is contagious: we need to talk about the domestic abuse experienced by female doctors in the NHS in the British Medical Journal. • Professional women may be more likely to experience abuse at the subtle end of the abuse spectrum • Abuse damages professional women’s sense of agency and belief in their abilities • Professional women can be silenced by their privilege • Economic or financial abuse can look different for professional women • Professional women support their partners to their own detriment • Asset rich, cash poor means they are trapped despite being relatively wealthy • Professional women feel shame related to their social position • Due to their social status women in this group feel shame for being abused • Professional women feel inadequate when their skills do not stop the abuse • Professional women feel ashamed that they were not able to spot the abuse I discuss subtle abuse and professional women with Drs Seema Haider and Ellen Welch in The Doctors' Association UK podcast released as part of NHS Domestic Abuse Awareness Day. We talked about the psychological impacts, case studies, and the importance of recognising and naming this form of abuse - and just why it is a hidden epidemic. As more high-profile women speak out about their subtly abusive relationships, awareness will grow, and knowledge is key for victims and for their friends and family.