Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse
Confused by your relationship? Do you catch yourself second-guessing, walking on eggshells, or feeling emotionally drained? Whether you’re still in the chaos or trying to rebuild after leaving, this podcast is your lifeline.
Join retired psychologist Dr. Kerry McAvoy as she exposes the hidden dynamics of toxic relationships. You’ll learn how destructive personalities operate, the manipulative tactics they use, and the stages of abuse—plus the practical steps to heal and reclaim your life.
If you’re ready to break free, rebuild your self-worth, and find lasting emotional freedom, hit play and start your recovery journey today.
Episodes
275 episodes
Why Narcissists Use Pet Names Instead of Calling You by Your Real Name
What if the sweet pet name your partner calls you isn't affection at all — but rather designed to keep you off balance? In this episode, Dr. Kerry and co-host Lynn Strathdee unpack one of the strangest and most overlooked patterns i...
You've Been Brainwashed! How Manipulators Train You to Never Leave
Were you brainwashed to stay — and didn't even know it? A cult doesn't need a compound, robes, or a manifesto. All it needs is two people: one who sets the rules and one who lives by them. Dr. Kerry reads your most powe...
Born into a Cult. Then Married a Narcissist. Is Coercive Control Stealing Your Life?
Were you born into a cult — or did you unknowingly marry one? If you've ever felt trapped, controlled, and unable to trust your own reality — whether in a religion, a family system, or a relationship — you may have been living insid...
You Saw the Red Flags and Stayed Anyway. Here’s the Real Reason Why
Why can you spot every red flag, name every tactic, and still find yourself in another toxic relationship? A commenter recently wrote that she had been raised by three narcissists, married to one, dated another for five years, recen...
Nobody Taught Us What a Healthy Relationship Looks Like — Here's the Cost
Nobody taught us what a healthy relationship should feel like. Not in school. Not in graduate training. Not in the culture we grew up in. And that missing lesson? It's costing survivors years of confusion, repeat heartbreak, and an...
Alpine Divorce: When Narcissistic Abuse Turns Physically Dangerous
Have you heard of an Alpine Divorce? During a listener’s two-year marriage to a psychopath, her husband took her hiking and then left her clinging to a rock in gale-force winds while he filmed her terror and laughed. This is what’s...
Narcissists Are Waging a Secret War Against You: 5 Dark Psychology Experts Expose Their Tactics
As we honor Memorial Day, there's another war, something that rages invisible, deliberate, and inside the most intimate relationships. This episode is dedicated to you.In this special compilation, 5 world-class experts answer the ...
Why Your Kids May Have Blamed You for the Narcissist's Abuse — and What to Do Now
A listener from Texas writes in: after escaping a narcissistic marriage, her adult daughter is now demanding that she admit that she was an abuser too. How does she reach her daughter now? In this episode, Dr Kerry unpac...
Childhood Neglect: The Hidden Damage From Narcissistic Families That Follows You Into Every Relationship
Did you experience childhood neglect? If you keep repeating painful patterns in your relationships — choosing wrong partners, feeling invisible, never asking for what you need — this might be why.Dr. Rachna Buxani, author of "Unseen," j...
The Real Reason You Can't Stop Snooping on Your Narcissistic Partner
A YouTube viewer asks: What about someone's makeup drives them to snoop instead of simply addressing the red flags?In this episode, Dr. Kerry digs deeper into a question raised in the February 19, 2026, Fan Mail segment, Feeling the...
Dreading Their Next Message? How to Stop the Toxicity With a Narcissistic Co-Parent
Are you bracing for impact when your phone buzzes?Does every conversation turn into a nasty fight?This week, Sol Kennedy joins Dr. Kerry to reveal why co-parenting is never get better when dealing with a narcissistic or an emotion...
5 Years of Stalking Hell After an Interaction With a Neighbor
What happens when a simple, healthy boundary triggers five years of stalking, dismantling your life? A viewer declined an odd social interaction with a neighbor that then sparked a stalking campaign that has followed her and her 15-...
Confessions of a Womanizer: "How I Became a Narcissist's Perfect Victim"
What happens when the man who spent years love bombing and manipulating women becomes the victim of the very same tactics?This week, Wade Belair joins Dr. Kerry for a raw, unflinching conversation about the shocking overlap between clos...
The Dark Truth About Growing Up Without a Mother’s Love
A listener from Australia writes in: "l have been jealous of women who are loved unconditionally because being raised by a mother who cannot or does not love you, fully and completely without condition, entangles every aspect of you until many ...
Why We Fail to See the Warning Signs When Women Become Dangerous (feat. Anna Motz)
Why are we more afraid of a violent woman than a violent man, even though men commit the vast majority of violent crimes? This week, forensic and clinical psychologist Anna Motz joins Dr. Kerry to pull back the curtain on one of soc...
When You Finally Leave—Why a Narcissist Becomes a "Monster”
If you're experiencing betrayal trauma after discovering your spouse's secret life, how do you finally leave a long-term narcissistic partner without triggering their rage? A listener from the US writes in, "We've been in and out of...
Keep Finding Yourself in the Same Toxic Relationships? How to Break the Pattern
Have you ever looked back at your relationships and realized they all feel disturbingly familiar? That's not a coincidence — it's your relationship blueprint at work. This week, therapist, bestselling author of Why ...
Is Your Partner Hiding Money? How Narcissists Use Finances to Control You
Why does a partner hide money, and is it always a sign of financial abuse? A viewer from the US writes in, "He is very good at hiding money using apps and credit cards. How do I find out what he's hiding?" In this episod...
Why Covert Narcissists Always Make You Feel Guilty (Even When You've Done Nothing Wrong)
Covert narcissism (NPD) is the hardest form of narcissistic abuse to identify — and the most damaging. Have you ever walked away from a conversation feeling like you did something wrong — even though you can't quite explai...
Why Narcissists Always Make Their Victims Look Unhinged
Why does the person who calls out a narcissist end up looking like the unhinged one? A Facebook follower writes in, "Why does the person recognizing and confronting the narcissistic behavior often appear unhinged to everyone else?" ...
The #1 Mistake People Make When Divorcing a Narcissist
Are you walking into your divorce expecting the court to finally see the truth about your narcissistic ex? This week, divorce attorney Hannah Bell Hembree joins Dr. Kerry to pull back the curtain on what really happens in the courtr...
How to Help a Friend Who Can't Walk Away from a Narcissistic Relationship
My best friend divorced her narcissistic ex two months ago — but she keeps talking to him, then ignoring him, then reaching out again. She says she wants to move on, but she can't seem to break the cycle. In this episode, Dr. Kerry ...
The Scary Reason Why Gaslighting Actually Works (And You’re a Part of the Problem)
Have you ever tried to walk away from a toxic person, only to find yourself right back in the middle of their reality?This week, Dr. Robin Stern (author of The Gaslight Effect) joins Dr. Kerry for a conversation that will change how you ...
Do Narcissists Enjoy Hurting You? Here's Dr. Kerry's Hard Truth
Why does someone who divorces a narcissist keep going back to them? A listener writes in, “My best friend divorced her narcissistic ex two months ago — but she keeps talking to him, then ignoring him, then reaching out again. She sa...
How to Tell You've Met a Narcissist: Coach Dan Ratner's Best Sniff Test
Have you ever felt completely drained after spending time with certain people in your life? This week, Coach Dan Ratner joins Dr. Kerry to explore the hidden world of emotional vampires: the 12 types of energy-draining people we all...