Relationships with narcissists can be confounding, confusing, and incredibly frustrating.

Join Dr. Kerry for this holiday episode when she revisits the highlights of her three favorite interviews. Hear Dr. Les Carter’s explanation of why narcissists are so tricky, Lisa Sonni’s three steps to breaking a trauma bond, and Dr. Robin Stern’s disturbing description of gaslighting’s power.

To listen to these full episodes:

Dr. Les Carter: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/podcast/s2-ep25-why-do-narcissists-have-to-make-life-miserable-dr-les-carter-explains-narcissism/

Lisa Sonni: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/podcast/s2-ep27-why-am-i-so-confused-the-making-breaking-of-a-trauma-bond-with-lisa-sonni/

Dr. Robin Stern: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/podcast/54-whats-wrong-with-me-the-power-of-gaslighting-to-confuse-and-control-interview-with-dr-robin-stern

Follow Dr. McAvoy!

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• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

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Disclaimer: 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 battling toxic in-law drama? Is your mother-in-law or father-in-law intruding into your relationship or family?

This week, Rossana Faye joins us to discuss common toxic in-law drama, particularly when it involves a narcissistic mother- or father-in-law. This week's self-help tip is the importance of strengthening your couple's boundaries over time.

Question for you: Is your toxic mother-in-law ruining your marriage or partnership?

In this week's Podcast Extra, Ro and I dive into this particularly toxic match-up. Learn how to defeat toxic in-laws by becoming a subscriber.

Get exclusive content for only $5/month.

Each week, enjoy member-only video content, psychological insights, and helpful tips on the topics that matter. Join either on Substack: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com or Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd. Same great content in 2 different places!

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• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

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

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Disclaimer: 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.

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. 

Join Lisa and me and learn the top strategy to defeating a covert narcissist on this week's Podcast Extra--exclusive content for only $5/month. When you become a subscriber, you'll get weekly member-only video content, psychological insights, and helpful tips on the topics that matter. 

Join either on Substack: https://substack.com/@breakingfreenarcabuse or Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd. Same great content in 2 different places!

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• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
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• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

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

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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 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.

Now, you don't need to wait a week for your next podcast fix. For only $5/month, sign up for weekly podcast extras! Join me on Ko-fi!

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• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
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• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

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

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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.

(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

Now, you don't need to wait a week for your next podcast fix. For only $5/month, sign up for weekly podcast extras! Join me on Ko-fi!

Follow Dr. McAvoy!

• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
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• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

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

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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.

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

Now, you don't need to wait a week for your next podcast fix. For only $5/month, sign up for weekly podcast extras! Join me on Ko-fi!

Follow Dr. McAvoy!

• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
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• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

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

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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.

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.

Now, you don't need to wait a week for your next podcast fix. For only $5/month, sign up for weekly podcast extras! Join me on Ko-fi!

Follow the Dr. McAvoy!

• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
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• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/
  
  

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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.

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.

Now, you don't need to wait a week for your next podcast fix. For only $5/month, sign up for weekly podcast extras! Join me on Ko-fi!

Follow the Dr. McAvoy!

• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
• Instagram: @kerrymcavoyphd
• Facebook: @kerrymcavoyphd
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/
  
  

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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 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: https://www.instagram.com/flyingfreesisterhood/

And she's also the hold of the Flying Free podcast: https://www.flyingfreenow.com/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: https://www.flyingfreenow.com/is-it-me/

 All the Scary Little Gods: a Memoir: https://www.flyingfreenow.com/all-the-scary-little-gods/

Now, you don't need to wait a week for your next podcast fix. For only $5/month, sign up for weekly podcast extras! Join me on Ko-fi!

Follow the Dr. McAvoy!

• YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
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• Facebook: @kerrymcavoyphd
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
• Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/
  
  
  

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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 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. 

Please join me for the weekly Podcast Extra! For just $5 a month, get key takeaways, helpful psychological insights and tools, and an exclusive podcast audio extra. This week, Rossana and I will discuss why narcissists refuse to see themselves as the problem. 

Sign up here for this exclusive content! http://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd/tiers

           *******************


Follow Dr. McAvoy!
YouTube: @kerrymcavoyphd
Instagram: @kerrymcavoyphd
Facebook: @kerrymcavoyphd
E-mail: [email protected]
Newsletter: https://breakingfreenarcabuse.substack.com/ or https://ko-fi.com/kerrymcavoyphd
Website: https://www.breakingfreenarcissisticabuse.com/

Kerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D., a mental health specialist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships, deconstructing narcissism, and understanding various other mental health-related issues. Her memoir, Love You More: The Harrowing Tale of Lies, Sex Addiction, & Double Cross, gives an uncensored glimpse into the dynamics of narcissistic abuse.

Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!

Support the show

Disclaimer: 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.