Healing From Emotional Abuse

Francesca Raoy Lison is a Brown University graduate originally from Madagascar and the founder of Umena, a nonprofit working to break the cycle of emotional abuse through social-emotional learning. In this episode, Francesca joins Marissa F. Cohen to talk about what it looked like to finally have a name for what she experienced growing up, and why that single act of naming it changed everything.

Francesca shares the research behind why emotional abuse is so widespread in Madagascar and beyond, how generational cycles and cultural narratives keep it going even when no one intends harm, and what it actually looks like to break that cycle starting with young people. She and Marissa also unpack what "projection" really means in plain language, why prevention matters as much as recovery, and what Umena's school-based programs look like in practice.

This episode discusses generational and cultural patterns of emotional abuse, including statistics on how many children are affected. There is no graphic detail, but listener discretion is advised, and the statistics referenced are as shared by the guest and should be verified before this episode goes live.

This episode is sponsored by Foundations of Healthy Relationships, Marissa's six-week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships actually look and feel like. Learn more by joining the exclusive Instagram community, link in the show notes.

Timestamps:

If you or someone you know needs support: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (also available by text: START to 88788) 

If this episode moved you, please subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with someone who might need to hear it.

Stathis Glaros is a transformation coach based in Greece who works with the Sedona Method, an emotional release technique originally developed by Lester Levenson in the 1970s and carried forward today by Hale Dwoskin. In this episode, Stathis walks Marissa F. Cohen, and listeners, through what the method actually looks like in practice: naming a feeling, allowing it to be there, and asking a few simple questions that make it possible to let it go.

Stathis explains the self-blame that so often shows up after trauma, the quiet reflex to believe "it was my fault" even when it clearly wasn't, and why trying to control or force away a difficult feeling tends to keep it stuck instead. Marissa and Stathis then walk through two live guided releases together on the episode, one on a present feeling and one on a past memory that still feels heavy, so listeners can experience the process rather than just hear about it.

Stathis is candid that the Sedona Method is a training approach for releasing emotional pain, not a diagnosis, treatment, or cure for any health condition, and that it works alongside, not in place of, therapy or professional support when that's needed.

This episode touches on domestic violence and sexual assault at a general level, and includes two brief live guided exercises. No graphic detail is discussed, but listener discretion is advised, and this content is educational, not a substitute for individual therapy or crisis support.

Connect with Stathis Glaros: Website: welcominghappiness.gr Stathis is offering 8 free sessions to listeners of this episode. [Insert booking link here, first 8 to book will be confirmed free]

This episode is sponsored by Foundations of Healthy Relationships, Marissa's six-week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships actually look and feel like. Learn more by joining the exclusive Instagram community, link in the show notes.

Timestamps:

If you or someone you know needs support: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (also available by text: START to 88788) 

If this episode helped you, please subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with someone who might need to hear it.

TO JOIN THE INSTAGRAM COMMUNITY: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbgOHlUYPYDdZBq/

Grace Oben is a certified mental health and life coach with over 15 years of experience supporting survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. In this conversation, Grace joins Marissa F. Cohen to talk about the patterns she sees most often in her work: the self-blame, the ignored red flags, and the moment survivors finally say, "enough is enough."

Grace shares how the stigma around mental health has shifted over the years, both in the United States and in the culture she grew up in, and why education and open conversation are still the biggest tools we have. She also walks through two of the exercises she uses most with clients, including a mirror forgiveness practice that consistently brings up deep, unexpected emotion. Marissa shares her own experience recognizing warning signs in a past relationship and ignoring them, a reminder that ignoring red flags isn't a personal failing, it's a common and human response to fear and hope.

This episode touches on domestic violence, sexual assault, and emotional abuse. There is no graphic detail, but listener discretion is advised if these topics are difficult for you right now.

Connect with Grace Oben: Website: providenceguide.com

This episode is sponsored by Foundations of Healthy Relationships, Marissa's six-week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships actually look and feel like. Learn more by joining the exclusive Instagram community, link in the show notes.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to Healing From Emotional Abuse

03:00 Introducing Grace Oben

04:00 How Grace got into mental health coaching

07:00 Mental health stigma in the U.S. and abroad

11:00 Sponsor: Foundations of Healthy Relationships

12:00 Grace's workshops, conferences, and upcoming recovery group

14:00 Working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault

16:00 The patterns and warning signs Grace sees most often

20:00 Sponsor: Foundations of Healthy Relationships

21:00 The most common thing survivors say: "I caused it"

22:00 The mirror work exercise

24:00 Marissa's own experience recognizing red flags

26:00 Grace's advice for survivors

28:00 How to connect with Grace

29:00 Why self-love has to come first

30:00 Closing thoughts

If you or someone you know needs support: National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 (also available by text: START to 88788) 

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with someone who might need to hear it.

TO JOIN THE INSTAGRAM CHANNEL FOR FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbgOHlUYPYDdZBq/

In this episode of Healing From Emotional Abuse, host Marissa F. Cohen sits down with Jackie Troller, founder of Ocean Troller Snorkeling and Free Diving and Breakthrough Breathing, to talk about what the breath can teach us about trauma, tension, and healing.

Jackie shares how a chance introduction to free diving turned into a career studying the science of breath holds, training Red Bull athletes and water rescue units, and coaching the crew on Avatar: The Way of Water. She explains why breathwork was showing up in PTSD research long before it showed up in her own life, how tension and trauma get stored in the body without us realizing it, and why telling someone in distress to "just take a deep breath" often backfires.

The conversation moves into practical territory, including a guided breathing exercise you can follow along with, a visualization technique for separating yourself from anxious or traumatic feelings, and why Jackie believes so much of that tension lives in the diaphragm. She closes with real, usable advice for survivors who want to start working with their body instead of against it.

Connect with Jackie Troller:

Learn more about Foundations of Healthy Relationships, a six week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships look like. Link in the show notes and on our Instagram community.

Timestamps

Subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse for more conversations on recognizing unhealthy patterns, setting boundaries, and building a life rooted in respect and peace.

TO JOIN THE INSTAGRAM CHANNEL FOR FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbgOHlUYPYDdZBq/

In this episode of Healing From Emotional Abuse, host Marissa F. Cohen sits down with Vicious Vickie, a professional wrestler from the New Jersey independent scene, to talk about the experiences that shaped her long before she ever stepped into a ring.

Vickie opens up about being sexually assaulted at 15 and the reputation-driven backlash that followed, an abusive high school relationship that escalated into a terrifying night she thought she might not survive, and the addiction and loss that came afterward. She talks candidly about getting sober, being sabotaged within the wrestling industry years later, and how that experience reopened trauma she thought she had already worked through.

The back half of the conversation turns toward healing: the neuroscience behind why we can feel drawn back to chaos, what it took to build a relationship rooted in real communication, and the small, unexpected things that still trigger her today. She also shares her honest take on the wrestling industry's Speaking Out movement and closes with advice for anyone chasing a dream while carrying real weight.

Content note: this conversation includes descriptions of sexual assault, physical abuse, and addiction. Please take care while listening.

Learn more about Foundations of Healthy Relationships, a six week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships look like. Link in the show notes and on our Instagram community.

Timestamps

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services. For confidential support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233, and RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 1-800-656-4673.

Subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse for more conversations on recognizing unhealthy patterns, setting boundaries, and building a life rooted in respect and peace.

TO JOIN THE INSTAGRAM CHANNEL FOR FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbgOHlUYPYDdZBq/

In this episode of Healing From Emotional Abuse, host Marissa F. Cohen sits down with Tammy Vincent, bestselling author, speaker, and coach, to talk about growing up as the adult child of two alcoholic parents and what that early chaos did to her sense of safety, love, and identity for decades afterward.

Tammy shares how she came to recognize complex PTSD in her own life, how dissociation became a survival tool she didn't even realize she was using, and what it was like to face a period of serious childhood harm with no way out. She also opens up about the moment she realized, at 26, that she didn't know what unconditional love was, and how that became the start of a decades long healing journey through Al-Anon, ACOA, therapy, and eventually coaching others through the same process.

This episode also covers the science behind generational trauma, including how trauma can physically shape the body and get passed down, and closes with Tammy's honest advice for anyone still in survival mode.

Content note: this conversation includes descriptions of childhood abuse and exploitation. Please take care while listening.

Connect with Tammy Vincent:

Learn more about Foundations of Healthy Relationships, a six week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships look like. Link in the show notes and on our Instagram community.

Timestamps

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services. For confidential support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233.

Subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse for more conversations on recognizing unhealthy patterns, setting boundaries, and building a life rooted in respect and peace.

Join The Foundations of Healthy Relationships exclusive Instagram community here: https://www.instagram.com/channel/AbbgOHlUYPYDdZBq/

In this episode of Healing From Emotional Abuse, host Marissa F. Cohen sits down with Heather Safory, a certified high performance coach and certified core energy coach, to talk about her journey through a ten year marriage marked by love bombing, gaslighting, and emotional abuse and how she rebuilt her life and identity on the other side.

Heather opens up about the early relationship patterns that set the stage for her marriage, the health crisis that became a turning point, what post separation contact with a narcissistic co-parent actually looks like, and the small daily choices that helped her reconnect with herself. She also shares how core energy coaching and high performance coaching can support anyone working to build a more intentional life.

If you are recognizing these patterns in your own relationship or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers practical language and real steps forward.

Connect with Heather Safory and Decide to Rise Coaching:

Learn more about Foundations of Healthy Relationships, a six week guided experience to help you recognize unhealthy patterns, build stronger boundaries, and learn what healthy relationships look like. Link in the show notes and on our Instagram community.

Timestamps

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services. For confidential support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available at 1-800-799-7233.

Subscribe to Healing From Emotional Abuse for more conversations on recognizing unhealthy patterns, setting boundaries, and building a life rooted in respect and peace.

#HealingFromEmotionalAbuse #NarcissisticAbuse #DomesticAbuseAwareness #SurvivorStory #HealthyRelationships #Coparenting #Podcast

Marissa sits down with Laura Richards, speech therapist turned podcaster and host of That's Where I'm At Podcast, for a candid conversation about her 33-year marriage and the emotional abuse she didn't have language for until near the end. Laura shares how she started noticing the patterns, what gaslighting actually felt like from the inside, and how she's rebuilding her life nine months into her divorce.

They talk about identifying safe friendships, why vulnerability (not just community) is what helps people heal, and how Laura uses journaling, walking, and humor as part of her recovery. It's an honest, often funny, always grounded conversation about what it takes to name what happened to you and move forward anyway.

Connect with Laura: thatswhereimatpodcast.com

A note: this episode discusses emotional abuse and relationship trauma. If it brings anything up for you, please consider reaching out to a trusted friend or a professional for support.

One thing worth flagging: the transcript uses "narcissist" fairly loosely throughout as Laura's own personal shorthand for her ex, which is fine as her lived description. 

In this episode, Marissa F. Cohen talks with Robin McTague, founder of "A Life of Choice Coaching and Consulting", about her path from a deeply difficult childhood through a marriage that echoed old patterns, to the health crisis that finally pushed her to do the deeper healing work. Robin shares how she learned to separate her own emotions from what she absorbs from others, how the Enneagram and inner-child work reshaped her relationship with herself, and the practical tools she now teaches to help survivors set boundaries, manage their inner critic, and stop taking things personally.

This is a candid, layered conversation about what real healing looks like when it doesn't happen all at once, and about turning a painful past into work that helps other people move forward.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

🎧 SUBSCRIBE to Healing From Emotional Abuse for new episodes every week.

💛 CONNECT WITH ROBIN MCTAGUE

💛 CONNECT WITH MARISSA F. COHEN

📌 This episode discusses childhood trauma, family abuse, and a parent's suicide attempt. It's shared for education and support, not as a substitute for therapy or professional care. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your area.

#HealingFromEmotionalAbuse #TraumaRecovery #InnerChildHealing #EmotionalAbuseAwareness #SurvivorStory #Boundaries #Enneagram #HealthyRelationships #DomesticAbuseAwareness

In this episode, Marissa F. Cohen sits down with writer, director, and filmmaker Krystle Weaver to talk about Aspersian, her short film inspired by her own experience in emotionally abusive relationships. Krystle opens up about using screenwriting as a healing tool, what it was like to watch her own story reflected on screen, how she cared for herself through triggering moments during production, and the advice she'd give to anyone recognizing similar patterns in their own life.

If you're navigating your own healing journey, Marissa also shares an update on the podcast's growth and a resource for survivors looking to build a personalized path forward.

TIMESTAMPS

🎧 SUBSCRIBE to Healing From Emotional Abuse for new episodes every week.

💛 CONNECT WITH KRYSTLE WEAVER

💛 CONNECT WITH MARISSA F. COHEN

📌 A note: This podcast is for educational and support purposes and isn't a substitute for therapy, medical care, or legal advice. If you're in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services or a crisis line in your area.

#HealingFromEmotionalAbuse #NarcissisticAbuseRecovery #TraumaRecovery #EmotionalAbuseAwareness #SurvivorStory #IndieFilm #WritingAsHealing #HealthyRelationships #DomesticAbuseAwareness