This week I’m joined by licensed clinical psychologist Dr Noelle Santorelli. We get into the invisible wounds left by social rejection and toxic dynamics, especially among women. I share my own deeply personal story of a friendship that turned into covert bullying and the emotional devastation that followed, while Dr. Noelle offers expert insight into how childhood trauma, complex PTSD, and early attachment wounds shape our adult relationships and our responses to betrayal.
Together, we unpack why the pain of losing close friendships can cut deeper than romantic heartbreak, how the biology of shame and the human need for belonging intensify that pain, and why so many of us stay in harmful friendships just to keep the peace, sacrificing our own worth. We challenge the stigma around “mean girl” behavior and explore how people-pleasing, social anxiety, and the pressure to perform for approval keep us trapped in toxic patterns. We also reveal how these toxic dynamics mirror narcissistic abuse and the lasting emotional toll betrayal and exclusion can take on our nervous systems.
Most importantly, Dr. Noelle and I want to empower you to reclaim your voice, set healthy boundaries, and choose peace and authenticity over approval and silence. If you’ve ever felt ghosted, gossiped about, or silenced by the very people you trusted, this conversation offers hope, healing, and a reminder that your pain is valid and you are not alone. This episode is a powerful call to courage and self-love—because sometimes healing means getting uncomfortable, speaking your truth, and walking away to find freedom and belonging on your own terms.
Follow Dr. Santorelli here: https://www.instagram.com/dr.noelle.santorelli/
This podcast is a place for trauma survivors as well as their friends and family. This is a safe environment to be vulnerable but it's also a place for celebration and moving forward. Let's all start to embrace who we are becoming by #mentalhealth #selfcare #self #judgingothers #judgingmeghan #suicideawareness #suicideprevention #survivor #resilience #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #podcasts #FriendshipHealing #ToxicFriendships #RelationalTrauma #MentalHealthMatters #WomenSupportingWomen #FriendshipBetrayal #SelfWorth #HealingJourney #EmotionalWellness #Boundaries #TraumaRecovery #FindingYourVoice #AdultFriendships #Empowerment #LettingGo #SelfLove #EmotionalResilience #ToxicDynamics #FemaleFriendships #BreakTheSilence #DrNoelleSantorelli
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