Why She Stayed - Grace Stuart

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 70: Life Post- Abuse | Imposter Syndrome, Fear, & Staying the Course Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

Alexis Ruhlen and I discuss life post- abuse as a part 2 episode. We cover topics such as: emotions that come with reporting our abusers to law enforcement, dealing with the opinions of others, survivor imposter syndrome, how long it took us to make progress, and breaking the bond for the final time.

Lex's original podcast episode of her FULL story is episode #18.

If you would like to follow Alexis or I, please see our socials below:

Lex's IG: @lexruhlen

Grace's IG: @gracestuart26

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 69: Sadistic Behaviors And The Normalization Of Boundary Pushing Sep 09, 2025

Show notes

On this episode, Lynn and I speak about topics such as sadistic behaviors, sexual abuse/ boundary pushing, and how abusers coerce you by giving the illusion of choice. To work with Lynn or send her a message, please see the links below:

Lynn's Website: https://www.echoismrecovery.com/

Lynn's Instagram: theechochamber2024

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 68: "The Greatest Weapon An Abuser Has Is To Make Us Not Trust Ourselves" | Monica Moore Smith Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

On this episode, Monica Smith shares pieces of her abuse story and detailed examples of how an abuser grooms us to no longer trust our own inner dialogue and perceptions. We talk about how they slowly make themselves the only source of truth we feel we can rely on and why it's so hard to believe ourselves.

Monica's Instagram: @monicamooresmith

Monica's Tiktok: @monicamooresmith5

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 67: Behind the Blame: Understanding DARVO Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

Taylor shares her abuse story and how her reality became completely distorted and shaken over time. We discuss how she was made to feel like the offender and how she was often recorded, shamed, and blamed as a form of control. We discuss topics of emotional, financial, & sexual abuse throughout the episode.

Guest details will be private for now until further notice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 66: You Won't Get Closure From The Same Person Who Hurt you | Laura Richards Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

On this episode, I am joined by podcast host and abuse recovery coach Laura Richards. Laura is the host of That's Where I'm At Podcast and we dive deep into both the addictive nature of the cycle of abuse and her personal story. We speak about the trauma bond, gaslighting, and abusers who frequently talk to other women as a form of punishment.

If you would like to get in touch with Laura, visit her social media pages:

Instagram: @thatswhereimatpodcast

TikTok: @thatswhereimatpodcast

Podcast: That's Where I'm At Podcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 65: "The Way He Operated Was So Subtle" Aug 05, 2025

Show notes

Nicolette shares about the emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse she faced in her marriage and how minimizing, denying, and blaming made it so hard to see through the fog. We discuss how abusers will often seem very forthcoming and honest about their "past" struggles and use their honesty as a distraction to their current behavior.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 64: "He's Not Going to Change"- Erin's Story Jul 29, 2025

Show notes

Erin shares her abuse story of enduring physical, emotional, verbal & financial abuse. She describes how her abuser blamed the mistreatment on "stressors" and kept her in a cycle of hoping it was always just about to get better.

Erin's Instagram:

@love_doesnt_destroy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 63: "Purposeful, Determined, & Unwavering"- Sarah's Story Jul 22, 2025

Show notes

Sarah shares her story of the many years of abuse she endured throughout her marriage and how spiritual and emotional abuse played a big role in keeping her trapped. She also shares how she navigated with 3 children including one special needs child and how she clung to her faith even when it was used against her as manipulation. Lastly, we discuss when an abuser says they didn't "mean" to hurt us and why it is still intentional abuse.

If you would like to connect with Sarah she has provided her Instagram below:

@hopperbunch4

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 62: He Knew Which Lines Not To Cross Jul 15, 2025

Show notes

Christa shares her story of experiencing high forms of covert abuse and how that led to a complete mental breakdown and loss of self. We dive into many examples of manipulation and how she eventually saw through the fog, overcame the confusion, and walked away for good.

If you would like to get in touch with Christa, please see her Instagram below:

@christarealba

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep. 61: Weaponization Of Mental Health, Triangulation, & Charisma Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

On this episode, Jess shares her story about how abusers can weaponize mental health claims as an excuse to accuse you and gain control in very covert ways. We also discuss how perpetrators who are very charismatic triangulate people around them to feed into the manipulation and lies.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Why She Stayed – Grace Stuart

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected