If the holidays feel heavy, this episode is for you.

On today’s episode of Currently Cringing, Anisha sits down with Dr. Rachna Buxani — licensed mental health counselor with 23+ years of international experience across the United States, Dubai, and the Cayman Islands, founder of Buxani Counseling Care, and author of the groundbreaking new book “Unseen: A Therapist’s Reflection on a Daughter’s Journey Through a Narcissistic Father’s Shadow.”

Whether you’re a millennial navigating complicated holiday dynamics, someone healing from a chaotic childhood, or just trying to understand the patterns you keep repeating in relationships, this episode is a masterclass in clarity, compassion, and science-based healing.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

🔹 What narcissism actually is

Not just selfies and self-absorption — but the clinical spectrum of narcissism:

• Grandiose narcissists

• Vulnerable narcissists

• Communal narcissists

• Self-righteous narcissists

• Neglectful narcissists

• Malignant narcissists (the most dangerous)

Dr. Buxani breaks down how each one shows up in families, marriages, and daily life.

🔹 The Narcissistic Family System & Childhood Roles

Why children in these families are unconsciously assigned roles like:

• The Golden Child

• The Scapegoat

• The Invisible Child

• The Peacemaker/Fixer

• The Parentified Assistant

…and how those roles shape your identity, self-worth, and relationships for decades.

🔹 Intergenerational Trauma & Why Your Body Remembers

We explore why narcissistic trauma is considered a public health issue, the difference between big-T and small-t trauma, and why your body stores emotional pain long after your mind tries to forget.

🔹 Trauma Bonding, Codependency, and the Cycle of Narcissistic Relationships

Dr. Buxani clarifies two of the most misused terms on social media — and explains, in plain language, what a trauma-bonded relationship actually is.

🔹 IFS (Internal Family Systems) & How It Heals Narcissistic Trauma

A step-by-step look at how IFS works, why it’s one of the most compassion-centered trauma therapies, and how it helps survivors reconnect with their “Self” — the calm, confident core identity that narcissistic systems erode.

🔹 Why Narcissistic Abuse Is Often Invisible

We discuss why people raised in these homes rarely realize it until adulthood, the grief that comes with naming the truth, and how healing begins once you finally see your story clearly.

🔹 How to Deal with a Narcissistic Parent During the Holidays

Practical guidance on:

• Yellow rock vs. gray rock communication

• How to set boundaries without chaos

• How to emotionally detox afterward

• Why you may still get triggered even when you’ve “accepted the truth”

• How long it REALLY takes to heal

🔹 Hope, Healing, and Rewriting Your Future

This episode is ultimately about empowerment — learning that you are not the problem, that healing is possible at any age, and that your story doesn’t end where your trauma began.

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⭐ Who This Episode Is For:

• Anyone raised by a narcissistic or emotionally unavailable parent

• Adult children who feel “not enough,” “too much,” or invisible

• People stuck in trauma-bonded relationships

• Listeners who struggle during the holidays

• Anyone working to heal their nervous system, identity, and self-worth

• Partners of people healing from narcissistic upbringing

• Anyone curious about IFS therapy, CPTSD, or intergenerational trauma

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Preorder the ebook now; hardcover releases January 14, 2026.

💛 If this conversation brought up difficult feelings…

You are not alone.

You are not imagining it.

And you are not broken.

Resources and contacts for Dr. Buxani are available at the end of the episode and linked in the show notes.

https://buxanicare.com/

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