Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse
Are you in a relationship that confuses you? One that leaves you feeling attacked or walking on eggshells? Maybe you've left but aren't sure what to do next; you're in the right place. Join Dr. Kerry McAvoy, a mental health clinician and author of Love You More, as she tackles toxic relationship dynamics. Listen as Dr. McAvoy describes destructive personalities, typical partner profiles, progressive stages of abuse, and common manipulation tactics. Find out why these relationships are complex to avoid, what makes them tough to leave, and how to recover and rediscover healthy self-compassion and self-respect again.
Episodes
Divorcing a narcissist often ends up a contentious battle. Victims come into court shaken up and traumatized, whereas their toxic ex appears poised and confident.
Today, two Toronto legal mediators, Amanda Silver and Alex Howard, are joining me. They are also the co-hosts of the Dirty Laundry Podcast. They are going to share how to protect your interests better when leaving a narcissist.
T...
What if you're not going to leave a narcissist? What if leaving isn't possible? Is there a way to survive a toxic relationship?
Sometimes, leaving a toxic relationship isn't possible due to complex reasons. Lisa Sonni joins me this week to discuss why some victims find themselves trapped in a bad partnership and what to do if this describes your situation.
Resources Referenc...
Have you heard of trauma dumping? It’s become a new way to attack victims for talking about their narcissistic abuse experiences.
Rossana Faye joins me as this week’s special guest to explore the importance of sharing your trauma and the role it plays in helping you heal from abuse.
And you don’t want to miss this week’s Podcast Extra where Ro and I discuss the differences between trauma r...
In celebration of the upcoming holiday, this episode features three of our listeners’ favorites.
Listen in as Tara Blair Ball and I discuss:
1. How narcissistic abuse is different from emotional abuse
2. Why covert narcissists are difficult to spot
3. If it's true that narcissists make good lovers
Listen to the full episodes here:
S2 EP 33: Were you emotionally abu...
The mind of a narcissist is wildly self-absorbed and oblivious to those around them. They are excessively focused on me, me, me.
Dr. Les Carter joins me to discuss what victims get wrong about the mind of a narcissist. He shares how our assumptions and misunderstandings create false hope, causing us to stay too long and to give too many chances.
To learn more about Dr. Carter: Visit Websit...
Could you be trauma-bonded to a narcissist? Are you battling a strange mix of love and fear?
Lisa Sonni joins me this week to discuss trauma bonds--an intense connection to another person that is very difficult to break. We think we feel love when it's based on fear.
Learn more about how to recognize if you're trauma-bonded and why it's so difficult to leave.
Becom...
Have you asked yourself, "Why can't I leave?" You know you should. You've even started hiding the ugly truth of what's really going on behind closed doors.
In this episode, Lisa Sonni joins me to discuss late-stage cognitive dissonance. Learn the underlying cause of the agonizing confusion that paralyzes the victim from acting in their own best interest. Find out what it too...
Have you left a relationship feeling duped? Not just betrayed, but conned? You’ve likely met a covert narcissist.
In this episode, Elena Sagredos, author of But They’re So Nice, joins me to talk about the deceptiveness of covert abuse. We often miss the signs we’ve met a covert narcissism behind their guise of niceness, only later to discover their extreme duplicity.
To learn more about Ele...
Relationships with narcissists can be confounding, confusing, and incredibly frustrating.
Join Dr. Kerry for this holiday episode when she revisits the highlights of her three favorite interviews. Hear Dr. Les Carter’s explanation of why narcissists are so tricky, Lisa Sonni’s three steps to breaking a trauma bond, and Dr. Robin Stern’s disturbing description of gaslighting’s power.
To lis...
Are you battling toxic in-law drama? Is your mother-in-law or father-in-law intruding into your relationship or family?
This week, Rossana Faye joins us to discuss common toxic in-law drama, particularly when it involves a narcissistic mother- or father-in-law. This week's self-help tip is the importance of strengthening your couple's boundaries over time.
Question for you: Is you...
Do you find yourself exasperated or angry at your partner, but you aren’t sure why? Do they put you into no-win binds?
Covert narcissists love to play subtle, often hidden mind games. They are masterful at twisting the truth, hiding exploitative agendas, and playing the victim, enraging their partners and families while keeping them in the dark.
In this episode, Lisa Sonni joins to discuss ...
Have you noticed managing boundaries with narcissists always fails? That they find some tricky way to evade limit setting?
Suddenly, you’re being accused of being too controlling or sensitive, or they can’t understand what you're asking.
In this podcast, Lisa Sonni joins me to discuss the problems of managing boundaries with narcissists. We'll explore this issue from a narcissist...
(Trigger Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of abuse.)
This week, Jessica Kent, a wildly popular social media figure, joins me to share her story of escaping abuse. Jessica reveals how covert narcissistic abuse can go from subtle to violent, especially when victims leave the relationship.
Jessica Kent is best known for prison reform advocacy. To learn more about her and her...
Sometimes, the truth can be right in front of you, but you still can't see it. Rossana Faye joins me this week to discuss a concept Dr. Jennifer Freyd, in her book Blind to Betrayal, calls “betrayal blindness.” Some truths can be so devastating that they are difficult to face.
And, the self-help tip is the importance of listening to what feels off, uncomfortable, or wrong to recognize signs you...
Is it ever okay to go through your partner's phone? I've been guilty of snooping and might consider doing it again.
Narcissists and toxic personalities are masters at creating ambiguity. My ex used to readily offer me his credit card after we first started dating. He'd send photos of broken machinery and take me on company runs, all as a way to build trust so that I couldn't tell ...
An all-too-common problem is narcissists and pets. Toxic people often pose a serious danger to our beloved animals.
In this podcast, Lisa Sonni and Dr. Kerry discuss the relationship toxic people often have with their family pets. Narcissists will often shower animals with love and attention only to harm the pets in private. The self-help tip includes some important boundaries to consider when begin...
Have you been a victim of spiritual abuse? It's not just interpersonal relationships that can be toxic, but also group systems and leaders. Many are stepping forward to expose toxic church leadership and oppressive and abusive spiritual belief systems.
This week, Natalie Hoffman, author of Is it Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman's Guide to Hidden Emotional and ...
Have you ever wondered, "Am I the narcissist?" Have you been accused of being the problem?
In this podcast episode, Rossana Faye joins me to discuss how to know who's creating the chaos. Narcissists are notorious for never seeing themselves as the root cause, but how do we know that the issue isn't us?
And the self-help tip is how to use your history to identify dysfunc...
Is being overly controlling a form of abuse?
In this podcast episode, Lisa Sonni joins me to discuss the subtleties of coercive control. Learn how to recognize the common control tactic of this insidious form of abuse. And this week's self-help tip is to assess how your partner's feelings and demands affect you. Are you doing less and becoming increasingly isolated to please them?
Stonewalling or giving someone the silent treatment is one of the nastiest forms of unfair fighting. When we ignore or reject another person's bid for a connection more than thirty percent of the time, the likelihood the relationship won't make it dramatically increases.
In this episode, Lisa Sonni joins me to discuss why stonewalling is such a popular toxic behavior and what to do if it&a...
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