Women of Impact with Lisa Bilyeu: Dr. Caroline Fleck on Validation, Boundaries, and Dealing with Toxic People - Part 1

Get ready for a truly transformative episode of “Women of Impact” as Lisa Bilyeu welcomes Dr. Caroline Fleck, Stanford-trained clinical psychologist and author, for an unfiltered conversation about facing the most challenging personalities in our lives. Dr. Fleck, renowned for her expertise working with individuals with severe personality disorders, unpacks her research-based, eight-step method for validation, communication, and boundary-setting.

In Part 1, Lisa and Dr. Fleck lay the groundwork for understanding validation as a powerful tool in navigating toxic dynamics. Dr. Fleck reveals the core ingredients of her ACCEPTED framework, discusses the critical skill of “attending” and “copying” during conflict, and shares science-backed tactics for de-escalating the impossible. Learn why setting boundaries is a true act of compassion, how “extinction bursts” show up in arguments, and why even narcissists feel safer when boundaries are clear. 

SHOWNOTES

The truth about validation—what it means and how it cuts through toxicityStep 1: Attending—active listening with purposeStep 2: Copying—mirroring as a tool to build rapport and calm conflictStep 3: Contextualizing—making sense of behavior through historyStep 4: Equalizing—seeing the situation through the other’s eyesStep 5: Proposing—“mind reading” and how Oprah does itStep 6: Taking Action—when and how to intervene to support, not enableStep 7: Emote—using shared emotion to deepen connection, or when to simply witnessStep 8: Disclose—using personal stories to break shame and isolation

FOLLOW DR. CAROLINE FLECK:Website: https://www.drcarolinefleck.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinefleckphd TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@drcarolinefleck Check out our sponsors: 

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