Ever ignored a gut feeling on a date because you wanted to "give him a chance"?  

This week, Dr. Jennie Young — PhD linguist and creator of the viral Burned Haystack Dating Method — reveals how the words men use in dating profiles and early messages expose exactly who they are before you've even met.  

PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT 

Find the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here. 

MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW  

🔹 Dr. Young breaks down the top 5 most dangerous rhetorical patterns — with real examples from actual dating profiles — including "test and apologize," cult leader language, threats disguised as preferences, and the "blue ribbon for bare minimum" that's almost always a red flag.  

👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview

THE BOOK  

Burn the Haystack: Decode Dating, Torch the Duds, and Make Room for Men Who Matter by Dr. Jennie Young

MORE ABOUT DR. JENNIE YOUNG  

Dr. Jennie Young is a college professor with a PhD in rhetoric and discourse studies and a specialization in critical discourse analysis — the study of how language reveals what speakers don't want you to know. After applying her expertise to online dating, she built a 250,000-member Facebook group (Burn Haystack Dating Method) entirely by word of mouth.  

Follow her on Instagram: @word_case_scenario

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Break free from narcissistic abuse with ReclaimYou. The app that's like having Dr. Kerry as your personal coach in your pocket 24/7. Get personalized support, healing exercises, and expert guidance whenever you need it. Join the waitlist now and be first to reclaim your life at studio.com/drkerry

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

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Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

My husband forces sex on me, erupts in rage, and his wealthy family would never believe me — and I don't think I can leave. 

In this episode, Dr. Kerry explains why you can't make an unsafe person safe through effort alone — and why that means your only real lever is increasing your own protection. Learn a practical two-stage framework to manage this impossible situation.  

Submit Your Question  If you'd like Dr. Kerry to answer your question on air, email it to [email protected] or use the link in the show notes.

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Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Break free from narcissistic abuse with ReclaimYou. The app that's like having Dr. Kerry as your personal coach in your pocket 24/7. Get personalized support, healing exercises, and expert guidance whenever you need it. Join the waitlist now and be first to reclaim your life at studio.com/drkerry

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

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• Instagram
• TikTok
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Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

You've done the work. Read the books. Tried the strategies. So why aren't you healing? 

This week, survivor and educator Ellen Tift reveals the hidden CPTSD symptoms quietly keeping you stuck—and why naming them might be the most powerful thing you can do. 

PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT 

Find the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here. 

MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW 

🔹 Ellen dives deep into the little-known difference between existential shame and existential humiliation—and why survivors often feel ashamed just for existing. 

👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview

THE BOOK

There's a Word for That by Ellen Tift (Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited) 

MORE ABOUT ELLEN TIFT 

Ellen Tift is a 30-year university educator and CPTSD survivor who turned her own healing journey into a comprehensive recovery resource. Her book breaks down the invisible symptoms of complex trauma into plain-English chapters—each with practical strategies and real-life scripts. 

• Website

• Instagram

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Break free from narcissistic abuse with ReclaimYou. The app that's like having Dr. Kerry as your personal coach in your pocket 24/7. Get personalized support, healing exercises, and expert guidance whenever you need it. Join the waitlist now and be first to reclaim your life at studio.com/drkerry

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

Have you heard, ‘If you truly understood me, you'd give me what I want?” 

This week's Fan Mail comes from a listener in Sweden who asks Dr. Kerry to explain how empathy gets weaponized. 

In this episode, Dr. Kerry breaks down the 5 types of empathy (affective, cognitive, compassionate, somatic, and perspective-taking) and explains why having empathy doesn't make someone safe.

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Submit Your Question 

If you'd like your question addressed on air, send it here: 

👉 https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/fan-mail

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Break free from narcissistic abuse with ReclaimYou. The app that's like having Dr. Kerry as your personal coach in your pocket 24/7. Get personalized support, healing exercises, and expert guidance whenever you need it. Join the waitlist now and be first to reclaim your life at studio.com/drkerry

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

Why do narcissists target good, empathetic people in relationships?

This week, forensic psychologist Dr. Peter Favaro reveals why being a good person might actually make you MORE vulnerable to narcissists—and how that one irrational belief creates the exact confusion toxic people exploit. 

Wondering if you met a “bad person?” Find out with this free gift from Dr. Kerry! 

PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT 

Find the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here. 

MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW 

🔹 Dr. Favaro breaks down the ABC model of cognitive behavior therapy—and shows you exactly how to break free from the "500 chances" trap. 

👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview

THE BOOK: 

Bad People Bible by Dr. Peter Favaro

MORE ABOUT DR. PETER FAVARO 

Dr. Peter Favaro is a forensic psychologist with decades of experience in high-conflict custody cases and international child abduction cases. He's authored 21 books, including Bad People Bible, Anger Management, and upcoming titles Foundation and a book on mindfulness.  

Dr. Favaro’s Teachable site: cihr.teachable.com

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Break free from narcissistic abuse with ReclaimYou. The app that's like having Dr. Kerry as your personal coach in your pocket 24/7. Get personalized support, healing exercises, and expert guidance whenever you need it. Join the waitlist now and be first to reclaim your life at studio.com/drkerry

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

My narcissistic brother is relocating to town after I moved away to escape him—why is he doing this? 

In this episode, Dr. Kerry explains why narcissists will often close the gap when there’s physical distance. How do you gain psychological distance when you can't move away? She also offers helpful strategies for creating boundaries when distance fails. 

Submit Your Question 

If you'd like Dr. Kerry to answer your question on air, email it to [email protected] or submit it through this link: https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/fan-mail

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Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

Are you struggling with  post-separation abuse and drowning in documentation? 

This week, Anne Wintemute introduces AimeeSays—an AI tool that helps abuse survivors make sense of chaos, document their experience, and present their story in a way family court will actually hear. 

PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT 

Find the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here. 

MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW 

🔹 Anne reveals how to use AI to document abuse to overcome the victim-blaming that happens when overly emotional in court. 

👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview

THE TOOL 

• AimeeSays (A-I-M-E-E Says) - Start free chat or subscribe 

MORE ABOUT ANNE WINTEMUTE 

Anne K Wintemute built AimeeSays after years of witnessing post-separation abuse survivors carry impossible burdens—forced to understand their trauma AND convince others of it. Her AI tool helps survivors document abuse, extract key events automatically, and transform emotional chaos into fact-based reports that courts can't dismiss.

• Social: Find AimeeSays on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

"I found proof he was cheating—but was snooping really what I needed to finally leave?” 

This week's Fan Mail comes from a listener in Dublin, CA, who, after reading Dr. Kerry's book "Love You More," recognized her own relationship mirrored Dr. Kerry's experience, including the urge to snoop. 

In this episode, Dr. Kerry explains why the urge to snoop is actually all the evidence you need that something's wrong and why finding "proof" never actually breaks the cognitive dissonance. 

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Submit Your Question 

If you'd like your question addressed on air, send it here: 

👉 https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/fan-mail

Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
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Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

Ever wonder why narcissists feel impossible to leave—even when you know something's wrong? 

This week, filmmakers Ali & Stefanie Schmahl reveal how their docu-fiction hybrid "I Love You My Narcissist" portrays what no other film has: the internal experience of being slowly trapped by someone you love. 

PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT 

Find the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here. 

MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW 

🔹 Ali and Stefanie take you behind the scenes—revealing what it takes to tell stories with your heart. 

👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview

THE FILM 

• I Love You My Narcissist (ILYMN) 

• Pre-register for watch party

• Trailer

MORE ABOUT ALI & STEFANIE SCHMAHL 

Ali Schmahl (Director) and Stefanie Schmahl (Producer/Actress) are Berlin-based independent filmmakers who created "I Love You My Narcissist"—a groundbreaking docu-fiction hybrid featuring expert interviews with Dr. Kerry McAvoy, Dr. Ramani Durvasula, Lisa Sonni, and others. 

• Website: ilymn.film 

• Social: @ilymn.film on TikTok and Instagram

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Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.

"My abusive partner refuses to leave or get help—and I'm trapped in a 'silent divorce.' What are my actual options?" 

This week's Fan Mail question comes from a YouTube listener navigating an impossible situation: a long marriage, adult children, religious pressure against divorce, and an abusive partner who wants to maintain the status quo without doing any of the work to change. 

In this episode, Dr. Kerry untangles the confusion between church annulment and legal separation, explains why staying together without changing is still a form of abuse. 

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Submit your question to be answered on air here!

Resources

• ReclaimYou: Dr. Kerry's AI-powered coaching app
• 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 Dr. Kerry!

• Youtube
• Instagram
• TikTok
• Facebook

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist & author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

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. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.