Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse

Latest Episodes:

"How mad can I make you?" The Toxic Games Covert Narcissists Play May 13, 2024

Show notes

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 the common mind games covert narcissists use. This week's self-help tip is how to use your emotional reaction and personal history to identify toxicity.

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice, nor does listening create a doctor-patient or therapist-client relationship. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please call 911 or contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 (US/Canada).

"You're trying to control me!" Why Managing Boundaries with Narcissists Fails May 06, 2024

Show notes

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's perspective: why they find boundaries threatening. The self-help tip is the importance of evaluating both partners' investment in the relationship as a measure of a healthy relationship.

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

"You’re not taking my babies from me!" How Jessica Kent Escaped Abuse Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

(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 work:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JessicaKent
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesken12/?hl=en
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jesken12?lang=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficiallyJessicaKent

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

How Could I Have Not Known? How Devastating Betrayals Blind Us Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

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 may be missing critical details in your relationship or family.
Blind to Betrayal: Why We Fool Ourselves When We Aren’t Being Fooled by Jennifer Freyd, Ph.D.: https://amzn.to/3TRNPpO

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

Why I'd Snoop Again: How this Toxic Behavior Sometimes Provides Closure and Safety Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

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 real company crises from manufactured ones.
I later learned he'd created this elaborate ruse to hide a double life.
Yet going through our loved one's phone can become a hard habit to break. Sometimes, we struggle to exit toxic relationships despite overwhelming evidence of betrayal.
In this podcast, Lisa Sonni and Dr. Kerry share their personal stories and discuss important considerations when facing these tricky situations.

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

I Think My Pet is Being Hurt! The Danger Narcissists Pose to Our Animals Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

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 beginning a relationship with someone new.

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

Did the Church Groom Me for Abuse? When Spiritual Leadership Becomes Toxic Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

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 Spiritual Abuse and her latest book, All the Scary Little Gods: a Memoir, joins me to discuss this sensitive topic.
To learn more about Natalie, you can find her on
Instagram

And she's also the hold of the Flying Free podcast
Her books:
Is it Me? Making Sense of Your Confusing Marriage: A Christian Woman's Guide to Hidden Emotional and Spiritual Abuse
All the Scary Little Gods: a Memoir

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

Am I The Narcissist? When Toxic People Accuse You of Being The Problem Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

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 dysfunctional relationship patterns.

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

Is It Really Abuse If I Can't Do What I Want? What is Coercive Control? Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

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?

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

The Complete Recovery Collection: Narcissistic abuse resources
First Steps to Leaving: Online self-paced digital course
Toxic-Free Relationship Club: Live coaching & community support

Follow Kerry!

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., an author and educator, helps listeners decode toxic dynamics, recognize manipulation, and rebuild self-trust.

As an Amazon affiliate, commission is earned from qualifying purchases.

When Stonewalling Is Used Against You: How to Disarm Toxic Interactions Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

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's happening to you.

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources