Link According to the Allstate Foundation, 1 in 4 women in the United States experiences domestic violence at some point in their lives. And one study found that 99% of women surveyed who had experienced domestic abuse also reported going through financial abuse, coercion, and control. Catherine Falls Commercial / Getty Images In fact, financial abuse can be one of the main reasons why people stay in or return to abusive relationships. Yet this form of abuse is not often talked about and little understood. So I corresponded with Shannon Thomas, trauma therapist and author of Healing from Hidden Abuse, to learn more about what financial abuse is and what warning signs to watch out for.