Dr. Peter Salerno is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and internationally recognized expert in personality science and pathological relationship dynamics. He specializes in the assessment of personality pathology and recovery from manipulative and coercive relationship abuse. He is the author of Cruelty by Nature, Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance, and The Nature and Nurture of Narcissism and was featured as an expert in the Hulu series Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil. His work integrates cutting-edge personality science with practical, trauma-informed education for survivors and clinicians.

Today on the show we discuss how manipulation starts long before most people recognize it, the first internal signs that someone is distorting your reality, the difference between normal conflict and intentional abuse, why love bombing can become a psychological trap, how predators use speed, guilt, empathy and confusion to keep people stuck, why smart and successful people are not immune to being manipulated, and the first steps to rebuild your nervous system, self-trust and identity after a toxic relationship and much more.

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