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
214 episodes
Has Your Adult Child Gone No Contact? Here's How to Rebuild That Damaged Relationship
Has your adult child gone no contact? Cut off all communication with you? Are you struggling to figure out how to repair things with them?There’s an alarming trend of adult children walking away from family connections called parental es...
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Season 4
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Episode 142
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29:08
Can a Psychopath ‘Choose’ to Be a Good Person?
“Can narcissists or psychopaths ever live moral lives?”This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a listener who asks: “Do you think there are some narcissists or psychopaths who genuinely try to live moral lives—perhaps guided by religion...
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Season 4
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Episode 141
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7:11
Why You Keep Picking Narcissists and What to Do About It, Featuring Jessica Baum
Ever wonder why you keep attracting the same kind of person—the ones who feel magnetic at first but end up draining you emotionally?This week, therapist and author Jessica Baum, creator of Anxiously Attached and SAFE: An Att...
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Season 4
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Episode 140
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35:10
Why I Stopped Being the Perfect Wife and Daughter-in-Law
“How can someone seem loving for years—then suddenly turn cruel?”This week’s Fan Mail revisits a letter that struck a nerve with listeners. A woman wrote about her daughter-in-law, who had seemed like a wonderful addition to the family f...
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Season 4
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Episode 139
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10:50
Can You Spot the 5 Types of People Who Could Ruin Your Life? Here's Bill Eddy's List
Ever feel blindsided by someone who seemed charming, helpful, or even caring—only to realize later they were quietly dismantling your peace?This week, conflict expert Bill Eddy, author of The Five Types of People That Ruin Your Life<...
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Season 4
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Episode 138
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34:48
My Ex is Blaming Me For His Broken Relationships With Our Kids
“Why does my ex always blame me when the kids want nothing to do with him?”This week’s Fan Mail comes from a listener in Rochester, New York, who writes about the heartbreak of watching her children pull away from their abusive fa...
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Season 4
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Episode 137
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7:42
Why Narcissists Use Secrets to Avoid Intimacy
Ever feel like your relationship was the most intoxicating connection of your life—only to discover shocking lies and betrayal later?This week, intimacy expert Gary Katz reveals how narcissists protect themselves by keeping secrets, b...
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Season 4
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Episode 136
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42:01
My Husband Claims His Facebook Account Has Been Hacked!…
What do you do when the evidence points to betrayal, but your partner insists you’re crazy?This week’s Fan Mail comes from a listener in Atlanta, Georgia, who describes the heartbreak of suspecting her husband of nearly 50 years is livin...
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9:18
Why It’s So Hard to See Predators Coming: The Story Behind Netflix's Bad Vegan
Predators are often hiding in plain sight—and even the smartest, most capable people can miss the red flags. In this episode, Dr. Kerry McAvoy talks with Sarma Melngailis, the former restaurateur whose story was told in Netflix’s Bad Vegan<...
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Season 4
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Episode 134
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46:25
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What to Do When You Lose Custody in Court: Answering Your Fan Mail
This week’s Fan Mail brings us two powerful questions: • From Syracuse, New York: “The family referee took my custody and handed it over to the father who was absent for years. My children have been separated from their siblings...
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Season 4
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Episode 133
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8:06
Podcast Trailer: Welcome to Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse
Join Dr. Kerry McAvoy on Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse for real talk about toxic relationships and recovery. Mondays feature expert interviews, Thursdays bring our new Fan Mail Q&A. Get clarity, validation, and tools to hea...
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Season 4
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0:46
When Men Say They’ve Been Abused: A Conversation with Josh from The Derelict Podcast
Disclaimer: This interview features perspectives from a male divorce coach navigating toxic dynamics. While some views expressed differ from those of trauma-informed psychology, I found it valuable to explore these tensions in real tim...
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Season 4
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Episode 132
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41:56
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When Your Therapist is the Narcissist! + Answering Your Fan Mail
What happens when a narcissistic therapist uses their professional training against you?This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a listener in Seattle who writes: “I dated a narcissist who was also a licensed clinical social worker. Can ...
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Season 4
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Episode 131
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8:29
How the Victim’s Personality & Attachment Styles Shape Healing and Recovery - Featuring Chelli Pumphrey
Do you know what one of the most dangerous traps you can fall for? Believing that you can “fix” a narcissist’s early attachment wounds. In this exclusive episode, therapist and author Chelli Pumphrey explains why narcissists rarely ...
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Season 4
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Episode 130
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38:03
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Can You Really Heal a Trauma Bond? + Why Do Narcissists Cheat? Answering Your Fan Mail
Can you really heal a trauma bond—or is the damage permanent? This week’s Fan Mail features two powerful questions. The first comes from a YouTube listener who asks: “Is it really possible to break a trauma bond? E...
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Season 4
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Episode 129
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11:22
When Your Mother Hurts Instead of Loves You: Understanding The Controlling Mom
Can you ever be “good enough” for a difficult mother? In this episode, psychotherapist Katherine Fabrizio, author of The Good Daughter Syndrome, reveals why empathic daughters feel trapped in cycles of guilt, exhau...
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Season 4
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Episode 128
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28:30
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Why Do We REALLY Stay? Answering Your Fan Mail
This week’s fan mail dives into two powerful questions about surviving emotional abuse.First, Dr. Kerry explores what it means when you stop crying—and why emotional shutdown can be a survival mechanism in toxic relationships. The...
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Season 4
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Episode 127
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6:27
How to Outsmart a Narcissist in Court: Family Law Secrets from Michele Locke
Going through a custody battle or divorce with a narcissist? The you know the legal system can feel stacked against you.This week, former family law judge and attorney Michele Locke reveals exactly how narcissists twist t...
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Season 4
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Episode 126
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28:28
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Practical Steps to Stopping the Crazy Confusion: Answering Your Fan Mail
What do you do when you can’t just cut off a toxic person?This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a YouTube listener who asks: “How do I stop the cognitive dissonance and self-doubt when I can’t go no-contact with a toxic per...
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Season 4
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Episode 125
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6:58
Why We Miss the Abuse — And How to Break Free from the Confusion
Why do so many survivors miss they’re being abuse?In this Labor Day Special, I’m revisiting three powerful interviews that follow the journey from denial to freedom.First, we explore how abuse often hides in plain sight<...
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Season 4
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Episode 124
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27:42
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Why the Narcissist’s Mask Slips: Answering Your Fan Mail
Is my daughter-in-law a malignant narcissist? How did she hide her worst qualities for so long?Today, Dr. Kerry answers 2 listeners’ questions. The first is from New York, New York about narcissists’ public and private person...
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Season 4
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Episode 123
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8:55
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Exposing Love Bombing: Insights from The Wolf of Wall Street’s Ex-Wife
What if the person you fell in love with never really existed?In this episode, Dr. Nae — psychologist, author of Run Like Hell, and former wife of the real “Wolf of Wall Street” — exposes how master manipulators use lo...
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Season 4
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Episode 122
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29:15
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He Has Successfully Destroyed Me! Answering Your Fan Mail
Welcome to our new podcast segment called Fan Mail! This is where Dr. Kerry answers your questions. To kick off our weekly bonus episode, Dr. Kerry is responding to a listener who writes, “He has destroyed me and my world after 16 y...
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Season 4
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Episode 121
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6:44
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Dr. Les Carter on the #1 Sign Someone Lacks Emotional Maturity in Conflict
What’s the single biggest giveaway that someone lacks emotional maturity — especially when the pressure’s on?In this episode, Dr. Les Carter, psychologist, best-selling author, and expert on narcissism and emotional health, reveal...
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Season 4
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Episode 120
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28:30
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The Part No One Talks About: What It Really Takes to Heal from Narcissistic Abuse
This week, I’m pulling back the curtain on something few of us talk about—the emotional toll of surviving narcissistic abuse after the relationship ends. Healing is hard. Helping others heal while still navigating your own recovery? Even harder...
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Season 3
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Episode 119
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9:02
