Since I know we all love our “wrapped” info, I thought it would be a fun way to end the year, and season two of Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast.

I’m so glad you’re here. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! Since I’m going to be taking a break from podcasting for a hot minute, I invite you to go back to the beginning of Season 1. There is so much helpful information and a TON of validation as people share their stories of experiences of gaslighting, and I help them understand the ins and outs of how and why it was gaslighting.

If you want to know a bit more about me and the offerings I have to help people recognize the patterns of gaslighting, and what’s more - heal from the effects of chronic gaslighting, please check out my website. There you can also find information about joining one of my groups or 1:1 coaching.  

Your "Wrap"

Quick facts:

• 40 episodes
• January and March were the two highest listening months
• The episode with the highest number of downloads was “Are they a gaslighter or just an asshole?”, from the 23rd of January
• The podcast was downloaded in 24 countries, with the top three being the US, Denmark, and Canada
• 57,074 downloads all-time (Seasons 1 & 2)

What’s NEXT?

• Taking a break to rest
• Taking a break to prioritize: Launching the Deconstructing Gaslighting® Academy

1. Added more tools and new information
2. New format – ONE course, with five parts: Part 1 – Clearing away the fog. Part 2 – Unmasking the gaslighter. Part 3 – Breaking the patterns. Part 4 – Reclaiming authentic power. Part 5 – Owning your truth
3. New ways to go through the courses: video, audio, workbook (later in 2025)
4. NEW, SUPER-ACCESSIBLE PRICE: $29/$39

• Taking a break to re-envision the podcast. I want to go back closer to what season 1 was like – click here if you would like to be a guest.

I wanted to address the fact that I’ll be gone for a hot minute, and let you know that you can work with me in a group cohort or 1:1 sessions; you can hire me to come do a workshop; you can invite me to come speak, and of course you can learn so much from my new course: Deconstructing Gaslighting: Take Your Power Back – available in video and audio no later than mid-January. Check it all out on my website or even schedule a free consultation with me.

I invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

Thank you for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe.

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, You’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

Almost a year ago, on winter solstice (which is this upcoming Saturday), I wrote this in a social media post. I said: Winter Solstice marks the day with the longest amount of darkness; it marks a SHIFT - the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun; the gradual waning of daylight hours is reversed and begins to grow again.

Death & rising. Darkness reversed into Light...What other imagery does this evoke? Like many who go through betrayal trauma and find themselves rising from the hell they've been through into post-traumatic growth, I resonate DEEPLY with the imagery of the PHOENIX.

The song, Phoenix by Katrina Stone, that I picked to be the theme song of my podcast for 2024, to me captures the audacious amount of power I feel to face the "fire" (GASLIGHTING, anyone? 😂).

I was IN it. I "laid there awhile" and made that hell my home. I walked through it. I came out the other side. And now, when I see the smoke rising from the hell my clients are walking through, I don't choke - I smile. Because I know I'm a phoenix. And I know they are, too.

2024 has been A YEAR, y’all! So, for my last “formal” podcast episode of season two and the year of 2024, my guest and I are going to share what we’ve learned and love about rising from the ashes, phoenix style!

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! I invite you to go back to the beginning of Season 1. There is so much helpful information, and a TON of validation, as people share their stories of experiences of gaslighting, and I help them understand the ins and outs of how and why it was gaslighting.

You can also check out my website for my courses on GASLIGHTING or to inquire about joining one of my groups or 1:1 coaching.

My guest today is Shawna Meek of Living Stones Coaching, based in Arizona. She is the author of the book, Determined for More, based on her own 25-year marriage journey, now available on Amazon.

Story Time: Sarah and Shawna talk about the "Phoenix" experiences they have had, and both the inspiration and life lessons they have learned from the story of the journey of the Phoenix.

If you'd like to know more about Shawna, her book, her workshops, or coaching, please check out her website!

I wanted to invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform. I’m on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly. And now, Phoenix, by Katrina Stone…

Here we are, in the middle of all of the end of the year holidays. It’s this weird time that’s a juxtaposition of feeling all the nostalgia, and often romanticizing childhood, AND coming face to face with the jarring reality of the toxic patterns we see in our society, our religious systems, and in our family of origin.

Today, my guest and I are going to talk about the different responses people have when confronted with this experience, how we can choose the cycle-breaker option, and how we can stay on that obstacle-ridden path.

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! If you are looking to deepen your understanding of this thing we call GASLIGHTING and learn how to recognize the patterns so that you can break the patterns, I encourage you to check out my website. I am in the process of relaunching my programs, and in the interim, I’ve already lowered the cost of my programs significantly. You can now get my signature program for just $29.

My guest today is Sharon Rinearson of CORE Relationship Recovery.

Story Time: Sarah and Sharon discuss what generational patterns are, how trauma is connected to it, how we can increase our awareness around places we may be unknowingly living in these patterns, and what obstacles we may want to be aware of as we are trying to become pattern-breakers!

If you'd like to check out the work that Sharon and her husband, James, are doing, please visit their website, or email Gail to set up a free consultation.

I wanted to invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m on Instagram, Facebook, and (for now) TikTok.

Thank you, my listener, for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe. Additionally, if you can think of one person in particular who could benefit, please share it with them. 

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

Many, MANY years ago I discovered this blogger whose blog was called Momastery. There were so many things that drew me to this writer. There have been a number of phrases she said that absolutely changed the way I moved through the world. And one of the things I loved about her the most was how raw and vulnerable she was with how effing hard life is.

It was one such time that she said these words: “We can do hard things.” It became the rally cry of the work she does in this world. And today, we’re going to take a look at how we can know the balance that we really need to have when we use that phrase, or phrases like it.

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! If you are looking to deepen your understanding of this thing we call gaslighting and learn how to recognize the patterns so that you can break the patterns, I encourage you to check out my website. I am in the process of relaunching my programs, and in the interim, I’ve already lowered the cost of my programs significantly. You can now get my signature program for just $29.

My guest today is Elizabeth Abbruzza of the Bellevue Trauma Recovery Center.

Story Time: Sarah And Elizabeth discuss the concept of "I can do hard things" – why and how it is a concept that can serve us; the “dangers” of this mentality/using this phrase flippantly; and finally some tips/tools to help us find – and stay in – a place of balance around "pushing ourselves".

You can learn more about the work The Bellview Trauma Recovery Center is doing, read their blogs, follow them on Instagram, or even get on their email list

I also invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Thank you, my listener, for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe. Additionally, if you can think of one person in particular who could benefit, please share it with them. 

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

As we head into the holidays, life can get really, really tricky. Family pressure. Cultural/societal pressure. Internal pressure. Pressure to put on a smile and be happy. And this month especially – pressure to have “an attitude of gratitude”. And yet – for so, so many of us, this can not only feel fake, but actually add to our struggles.

So today, I’ve invited an amazing human to come on the pod and share one of her favorite and most powerful tools we can use to find peace in the midst of the conflicts and contradictory circumstances we find ourselves in in life – and especially during this time of year.

Welcome you to Deconstructing Gaslighting® the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. And if you’re new here, welcome. I’m so glad you’re here. I hope that the resources I have on this podcast and website help you find clarity, empowerment, and healing. Check it out, or better yet – schedule a free consultation call with me!

My guest today is Natalie Claire - aka Sunshine Strategist!

Story Time: Sarah and Natalie discuss what the Yes/And or Both/And is, the variety of ways we can use this mindset/tool to help us move through life with so much more peace, and a few reasons people may find themselves feeling a bit resistant to embracing the both/and.

Top Take-Aways: Usually I list out the top take-aways, but this time I just felt like I couldn't do them justice. There was just so much power and rawness and beauty in the discussion to capture it here.  

If you'd like to talk with Natalie about hiring her as your strategist/business coach, you can do so by sending her an email addressed to: [email protected]. You can also follow her and her adventures on her Instagram account.

If you'd like to sign up for the "Take Back the Holidays" workshop, you can do so here.

I also wanted to invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform where we can connect and interact… I’m on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

Thank you, my listener, for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe. Additionally, if you can think of one person in particular who could benefit, please share it with them. 

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broke and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

Register for the workshop here!

The holidays bring a *special* challenge for MANY of us...

🍂Parallel parenting with a GASLIGHTING ex

🍂Toxic family gatherings where old patterns take you right back to feeling like that powerless child

🍂 Triggers and GASLIGHTING responses between intimate partners where betrayal trauma has happened

If you resonate with any of these situations, and know - far too well - the anxiety, sense of powerlessness, and dread they bring, I have something for you!

Nov. 16th I will be doing a special workshop where I will share the best strategies and tools I've used with my clients over the past decade to help them stay connected to themselves, and reduce (if not completely shift) the anxiety, and instead feel empowered and equipped - AND, quite possibly, a sense of peace - as they moved through their difficult holiday season.

November 16th, from 11am - 1 pm CST (9-11 PST; 12-2 EST)

Replay from 6 pm - 8 pm CSY (4-6 PST; 7-9 EST)

$30

Register here!

*ALSO - please share so that more people can know about this amazing resource this holiday season!

Fear. It’s a topic I revisit often on my podcast, because it can be a confusing one, especially since fear can sometimes be a helpful emotion. For example, fearing the pain that will happen if I touch fire helps alert me to the danger of fire.

While it’s an important emotion that can alert us to pay attention to what’s going on around us, it is also something that can misguide us. For example, when I was a kid, I had a BUNCH or irrational fears, and many of them centered on stories and movies that always popped up this time of year.

So, what better time to revisit this topic than the month we most commonly associate with fear – October.

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting, the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. In addition to the self-paced programs I have on my website designed to help you find your answers around gaslighting, I wanted to let you know about a special workshop I’m doing next month - Take Back the Holidays. Save the date: Nov. 16th.

 Story Time: Sarah discusses the difference between fear based on "real" vs. imagined threats; why we need to be able to sort through things to recognize the difference; complications with sorting out which type of fear we are experiencing; and of course, fear that intersects with gaslighting– fear that is connected with gaslighting:

Top Take-Aways:

1. Get clear about "the story I’m making up"... ask yourself if this a likely outcome? – if so, what options/choices do I have to change things and/or protect myself?
2. "Head, Heart, Gut" check – Check out podcast episode: Season 2, Epi 22, May 28th – "I should’ve listened to my gut".
3. Asking yourself: if I face this fear, is it because of an opportunity for growth? If not, ask "why am I facing it/pushing through it?"– good distinction to flesh out potential coercion
4. Remember: "Where focus goes, energy flows"

• If you have determined it's not a "real threat", ask yourself one of the following questions: What would be the opposite of fear that I would rather be feeling? If I could tap into my “higher self” in this situation, how would they feel/handle this? And then borrow those things from your higher self.

I'd love to have you follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

Gaslighting and our children… this is such a huge, heavy, and important aspect of so many people in life that while I planned on having just one episode on the topic, I ended up having two. In the last episode, my guest and I addressed the question: Am I gaslighting my kid? In this episode, we’re going to address the questions: Did my kid just try to gaslight me? What does that mean if they did? How can I help my kid be “gaslighting resistant”?

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! If you are looking for help around gaslighting issues, I encourage you to check out my website, where I have a number of self-paced programs designed to help you find your answers around gaslighting, find clarity and shift into a place of feeling more empowered.

My guest today is once again Lauren Hagen.

Story Time: Sarah and Laure share stories from their own lives to help you recognize when your kids may be trying to gaslight you, and when you are seeing others gaslight your kids. As they do, they share insights and tips to help you through these nuanced issues.

Top Take-Aways:

• As Lauren said, "Slow the F down"
• As Sarah said, "Be mindful of the shortcuts we are tempted to take"
• Best tip for teaching your kids how to be gaslighting-resistant: help them know themselves and grow their voice.

I wanted to invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

If you’d like to get in contact with Lauren, you can reach out to her for a free consultation at [email protected] or call or text her at 512-739-6759.  

Thank you, my listener, for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe. Additionally, if you can think of one person in particular who could benefit, please share it with them. 

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

Gaslighting and our children… is there any place that feels more critical than this for those of us who are parents?  Have you ever wondered about any of the following? Am I gaslighting my kid? Did my kid just try to gaslight me? What does that mean if they did? How can I help my kid be “gaslighting resistant”? I’ve heard every single one of these questions over the years and asked myself each and every one of them. So today, my guest and I are going to share stories and tips to help address these questions.

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! If you are looking for help around gaslighting issues, I encourage you to check out my website where I have a number of self-paced programs designed to help you find your answers around gaslighting, find clarity and shift into a place of feeling more empowered.

My guest today is Lauren Hagen.

Story Time: Sarah and Lauren talk about the ways they've gaslit their kids, and the lessons they've learned about themselves, their kids, and parenting along the way.

Top take-aways:

• Not all people who do gaslighting behaviors are doing it for nefarious reasons. It's important to take a look at our own motives for gaslighting our kids, with compassion and WITHOUT judgement. This is how we learn how to meet our needs in parenting, while behaving in ways that are staying in alignment with the way we want to parent our children/our values.

So, dear listener, my and Lauren’s conversation about this very important topic was SO good, that I’ve done something I’ve never done before, and I’ve edited this podcast into two episodes so that it’s not 70 minutes long.

So please come back in two weeks, when Lauren and I talk about when our kids try to gaslight us, and when we see someone else gaslighting our kids.

I invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

If you’d like to get in contact with Lauren, you can reach out to her for a free consultation at [email protected] or call or text her at 512-739-6759. 

Thank you, my listener, for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe.

Additionally, if you can think of one person in particular who could benefit, please share it with them. 

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.

It’s back to school season, and as such, this month my two podcast episodes are going to be focused on supporting all the parents out there.

One of the most difficult places we can experience GASLIGHTING is when we are having to “parallel parent” with a GASLIGHTING ex. The stories I’ve heard throughout my career of how this has played out would break your heart. So today I’ve invited someone near and dear to my heart to help me talk about this very difficult topic and give you some ideas of how to handle this if you are one of the many who don’t get to walk away from your gaslighter like I did.

Welcome to Deconstructing Gaslighting®, the podcast. I’m your host, Sarah Morales. If this is the first time you’re listening to the pod, welcome! If you are looking for help around GASLIGHTING issues, I encourage you to check out my website, where I have a number of self-paced programs designed to help you find your answers around GASLIGHTING.

My guest today is Lindsay - a therapist and mother to five boys.

Story Time: Sarah and Lindsay talk about a variety of ways parents who have divorced their gaslighter, but still share children, experience GASLIGHTING. From "love-bombing" to undermining, they share many relatable stories and a few tips and tools to help you if you can relate.

Top Take-Aways:

1. Give yourself permission to prioritize yourself so that you can be fully present for your kiddos.
2. Remember this important FACT: It’s NOT your job to “cover” or “protect” that gaslighting parent.
3. Remember the goal: stay connected to what you know to be true.
4. You don’t have to prove yourself to your ex/validate why you want the boundaries/”rules”, etc. – if they don’t agree/wont’ comply, you get to differentiate, etc.
5. Remember this statement: "If it's important to me, then it's important".

I wanted to invite you to follow me on your preferred social media platform… I’m on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Thank you, my listener, for listening to today’s episode.  If you found it helpful and want to help me get it in the hands of more people who could benefit from it, please leave a review and subscribe. Additionally, if you can think of one person in particular who could benefit, please share it with them. 

And remember – you may have crashed and burned; been broken and hurt, but damn it, you’re a phoenix and you’re rising again. I think it’s time we fly.