Will I ever be good enough? If you’re married to a narcissist, chances are you’ve struggled with this question. But the truth is, it’s impossible to please a narcissist, and you may need to leave the relationship. So, what can you do to prepare for the divorce process? Is there any way to avoid a high-conflict divorce? How can you protect your children and offer them the empathy they can’t get from a narcissistic parent?

Dr. Karyl McBride is a marriage and family therapist with 30-plus years of experience in public and private practice. An expert in the realm of narcissism and trauma recovery, Dr. McBride is a regular contributor at Psychology Today and the author of Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers and Will I Ever Be Free of You? How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Dr. McBride joins Katherine to discuss narcissism, describing the narcissist’s characteristic lack of empathy and need to win and explaining why they nearly always have high-conflict divorces. She speaks to the way children of narcissists are used as pawns in the divorce process and explores how to counter narcissism by parenting with empathy. Listen in for Dr. McBride’s insight around preparing to divorce a narcissist and learn how to recover from a difficult relationship with a narcissistic parent or spouse.

Topics Covered

The lack of empathy that is characteristic of a narcissist

How narcissists use charm to manipulate in the dating phase

Why narcissists nearly always have high-conflict divorces

How victims of narcissists present in the divorce process

How children of narcissists are used as pawns in divorce

When older kids start to recognize narcissism in a parent

How the other parent can counter narcissism with empathy

Giving children a voice by way of reintegration therapy

Why children of narcissists suffer from crippling self-doubt

What happens when families with a narcissist stay together

Dr. McBride’s advice for preparing to divorce a narcissist

• Gather team of support

• Pre-therapy to identify triggers

Connect with Dr. Karyl McBride

Will I Ever Be Good Enough: https://www.willieverbegoodenough.com/

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/

Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/

Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246

Email: [email protected]

Call (914) 738-7765

Resources

Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Dr. Karyl McBride: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Ever-Good-Enough-Narcissistic/dp/1439129436

Will I Ever Be Free of You? How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family by Dr. Karyl McBride: https://www.amazon.com/Will-Ever-Free-You-High-Conflict/dp/1476755728