Relationships Uncensored: Real Talk with Lisa Sonni

By Lisa Sonni

This is the podcast your abuser doesn’t want you to hear.

Hosted by relationship coach and abuse recovery educator Lisa Sonni, Relationships Uncensored pulls back th

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FAQs about Relationships Uncensored: Real Talk with Lisa Sonni:

How many episodes does Relationships Uncensored: Real Talk with Lisa Sonni have?

The podcast currently has 63 episodes available.

Best of Relationships Uncensored: Real Talk with Lisa Sonni

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Weaponized Incompetence: When Does It Cross Into Abuse? | Paige Turner | S5E02
Send Lisa a question for her to reply in a future episode! If you’ve ever felt like the household manager while your partner acts helpless, this episode brings the nuance most conversations miss. Lisa Sonni sits down with Paige Turner, a mother of four and creator who talks about marriage, motherhood, and domestic labor, to unpack where weaponized incompetence ends and ordinary friction begins. They look at everyday examples—the dishwasher, the sink, snow gear, and “just give me a list”—and ask the real question: is your partner willing to learn and change, or is the work quietly landing back on you? The conversation challenges the idea that “you’re just better at it” means you should own it forever, explains how lists create a manager-employee dynamic, and names why time—not money—is the real currency of fairness at home. Paige and Lisa also make space for the gray area: not every conflict is abuse, but repeated shutdowns, defensiveness, and blame-shifting can signal something much more serious. Healthy partnerships can handle curiosity, accountability, and follow-through. If the inequity feels bad, that feeling is information—not a personal failing. Join Lisa Sonni & Dr. Peter Salerno in Boston, MA November 13-15, 2026 here: https://lisasonni.com/unbreakable-and-irreplaceable/ Support the show This is the podcast they don't want you listening to. 👉 Find me at lisasonni.com Book A Session with Lisa Join my online survivor community called She Rises Collective where we are breaking free, rebuilding and dismantling patriarchy. Follow on IG Watch on YouTube Get My Books Here New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs the truth - and remember: You’re stronger than they ever wanted you to believe.
September 15, 202654min
Number 2: 5 Covert Gaslighting Tactics That Make You Question Your Own Reality | Dr. Robin Stern | S4E3
Send Lisa a question for her to reply in a future episode! You know what gaslighting is. ”You're too sensitive.” ”I was just joking.” ”That never happened.” But there is a version of gaslighting that is much harder to name. It does not announce itself. It works slowly, through tone and framing and forgetfulness and calm. And by the time you notice it, you have already started doubting your own memory, your own perception, and your own mind. Lisa sits down with Dr. Robin Stern, therapist, author, and co-founder of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, to go deep on the 5 covert tactics that most people never recognize as gaslighting. Dr. Stern is clear that these tactics are not always conscious, but in the hands of someone who uses them consistently, the effect is the same. You stop trusting yourself. You begin organizing your life around avoiding his reaction. You forget who you were before the confusion started. Because sometimes the calmest person in the room is causing the most damage. Resources mentioned:The Gaslight Effect by Dr. Robin SternYale Center for Emotional IntelligenceJoin Lisa Sonni & Dr. Peter Salerno in Boston, MA November 13-15, 2026 here: https://lisasonni.com/unbreakable-and-irreplaceable/ Support the show This is the podcast they don't want you listening to. 👉 Find me at lisasonni.com Book A Session with Lisa Join my online survivor community called She Rises Collective where we are breaking free, rebuilding and dismantling patriarchy. Follow on IG Watch on YouTube Get My Books Here New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs the truth - and remember: You’re stronger than they ever wanted you to believe.
May 26, 202642min
Number 3: Why Narcissists Explode When You Set Boundaries | Bill Eddy on High Conflict Escalation | S4E1
Send Lisa a question for her to reply in a future episode! You knew it was coming. Maybe not the exact moment, but you felt it building. The tension in the room. The stillness before it broke. Your nervous system clocked it before your brain caught up. That's pattern recognition, and there's a reason these conflicts follow a script. Lisa sits down with Bill Eddy, lawyer, therapist, mediator, and co-founder of the High Conflict Institute, to break down exactly why escalation in high conflict relationships is predictable, what triggers it, and how it plays out differently across three distinct personality patterns. Bill explains why setting a boundary isn't just uncomfortable for these people, it's experienced as a threat that requires a response. He covers how they move from verbal attacks to punishment to recruiting others into the conflict, why they see themselves as the victim even while causing harm, and what survivors consistently get wrong when they're in the middle of it. One of the most important moments in this conversation is a simple reframe: escalation is not proof that you did something wrong. It's proof that the system was challenged. Once you understand that, everything shifts. Resources mentioned:SLIC Solutions: Setting Limits and Imposing Consequences by Bill EddySplitting: Protecting Yourself While Divorcing Someone with Borderline or Narcissistic Personality Disorder by Bill EddyHigh Conflict Institute: highconflictinstitute.comJoin Lisa Sonni & Dr. Peter Salerno in Boston, MA November 13-15, 2026 here: https://lisasonni.com/unbreakable-and-irreplaceable/ Support the show This is the podcast they don't want you listening to. 👉 Find me at lisasonni.com Book A Session with Lisa Join my online survivor community called She Rises Collective where we are breaking free, rebuilding and dismantling patriarchy. Follow on IG Watch on YouTube Get My Books Here New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs the truth - and remember: You’re stronger than they ever wanted you to believe.
May 12, 202647min
Number 4: Why Couples Counseling Backfires With Abusive Partners w/ Dr. Peter Salerno | S2E15
Send Lisa a question for her to reply in a future episode! You’re not crazy for thinking therapy would help. You were taught that relationships can be “fixed” if you just try harder, communicate better, or show more empathy. But when you sit beside someone who thrives on blame, chaos, and control, therapy doesn’t heal the relationship, it becomes another weapon used against you. Dr. Peter Salerno, psychotherapist and expert in personality pathology, joins Lisa to dismantle one of the most dangerous myths survivors are sold: that couples counseling can repair abusive dynamics. He breaks down why disordered partners don’t collaborate, why they show up as “model clients,” and how therapists who aren’t trained in pathology end up validating abuse, deepening your confusion, and escalating the danger. Together they expose how language from therapy (boundaries, respect, communication) gets twisted into ammunition, and why survivors often leave sessions questioning themselves instead of the abuse. This conversation is a lifeline if you’ve ever left therapy feeling smaller, more ashamed, or more bonded to someone who’s harming you. You’re not the problem, the dynamic is. Seeing the truth is the first step toward reclaiming your safety, clarity, and self. Join Lisa Sonni & Dr. Peter Salerno in Boston, MA November 13-15, 2026 here: https://lisasonni.com/unbreakable-and-irreplaceable/ Support the show This is the podcast they don't want you listening to. 👉 Find me at lisasonni.com Book A Session with Lisa Join my online survivor community called She Rises Collective where we are breaking free, rebuilding and dismantling patriarchy. Follow on IG Watch on YouTube Get My Books Here New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs the truth - and remember: You’re stronger than they ever wanted you to believe.
December 16, 202546min
Number 5: Serial Cheating Isn’t a Struggle. It’s a Strategy. | Ep. 013
Send Lisa a question for her to reply in a future episode! Cheating doesn't always happen in spite of how much it hurts you. Sometimes it happens because it hurts you - because that's the exact reason they want you to feel that pain, to feel less than. But the psychology behind serial cheating is more complex than we might think, and understanding it can help us make better decisions about our relationships and our own healing. This week, I sit down with Dr. Kate Balestrieri, a licensed psychologist and certified sex therapist, to explore the real motivations behind serial cheating. We dive deep into the concept of "eroticized rage" and how cheaters use infidelity to restore power, seek revenge, transgress social norms, or possess what feels out of reach. Kate explains why the common narrative of "unmet sexual needs" is actually bullshit - men don't have a biological need for sex, and cheating is rarely about the betrayed partner at all. We discuss the difference between compulsive sexual behavior and coercive control, why some people weaponize the "sex addiction" label, and how patriarchal conditioning creates sexual entitlement in relationships. Kate also shares insights on why saying "just leave" isn't always realistic and how to assess whether a relationship involving infidelity is worth trying to repair. Throughout our conversation, we emphasize that no one is entitled to sex from another person, and that healing from betrayal requires individual work - not couples therapy. Resources Mentioned: Dr. Kate Balestrieri's book: "What Happened to My Sex Life? A Sex Therapist's Guide to Reclaiming Lost Desire, Connection and Pleasure": https://a.co/d/7Cj0iCb "Isn't Sex My Right?" webinar featuring Dr. Kate Balestrieri https://strongerthanbefore.podia.com/isn-t-sex-my-right-why-sexual-coercion-is-abuse-webinar-replay Connect with Dr. Kate Balestrieri: Website: https://www.modernintimacy.com/ Social Media: @drkatebalestrieri Join Lisa Sonni & Dr. Peter Salerno in Boston, MA November 13-15, 2026 here: https://lisasonni.com/unbreakable-and-irreplaceable/ Support the show This is the podcast they don't want you listening to. 👉 Find me at lisasonni.com Book A Session with Lisa Join my online survivor community called She Rises Collective where we are breaking free, rebuilding and dismantling patriarchy. Follow on IG Watch on YouTube Get My Books Here New episodes drop every Tuesday. Subscribe, share it with someone who needs the truth - and remember: You’re stronger than they ever wanted you to believe.
August 12, 202545min