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Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse

Kerry McAvoy, Ph.D.
Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse
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  • How Abusive Relationships Shatter Your Identity & Cost You Your Voice
    Ever feel like you can’t find “you” anymore? That you’re second-guessing everything, going numb, or swallowing your words just to keep the peace?This week, psychologist Dr. Shahrzad Jalali joins Dr. Kerry to unpack how long-term emotional abuse scrambles your nervous system, erodes self-trust, and leads to identity confusion—and what actually helps you get “you” back. We trace the early red flags, why we repeat familiar patterns, and the body-level toll (sleep, gut, jaw, hypervigilance) that keeps you on edge. PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENTFind the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here.MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW 🔹 Two common trauma responses—flooding vs. minimizing: what to do if you either overwhelm others with pain or downplay what happened.Dr. Jalali lays out a gentle, step-by-step plan that starts with naming what’s happening and accepting you’re not “overreacting.”👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview: https://substack.com/@breakingfreenarcabuseMORE ABOUT DR. JALALIWebsiteInstagramSHAHRZAD JALALI, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist. She completed an M.A. in Clinical Psychology (Marriage and Family Therapy) and received training during her internship in the field of addiction. She further received a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology and completed a practicum training as well as pre-doctoral internship at a child and adolescent clinic, emphasizing human development and stages of growth. Dr. Jalali completed her post-doctoral fellowship in the adult track at several different private practices under the supervision of the numerous mentors specializing in depth work, couples’ and sex therapy, and trauma. She approaches her patients from a bio/psycho/social perspective that emphasizes the role of relationships in the evaluation of the sense of self.   Stay in Touch With Dr. Kerry!YoutubeInstagramTikTokFacebookMore About Dr. KerryKerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism. Her blogs have been featured in Mamami, YourTango, Scary Mommy, and The Good Men Project. In Love You More, Dr. McAvoy gives an uncensored glimpse into her survival of narcissistic abuse, and her workbook, First Steps to Leaving a Narcissist, helps victims break free from the confusion common in abusive relationships. She hosts the Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse podcast and offers trauma-related advice on social media.Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!Support the showDisclaimer: This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.
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  • My Abusive Husband Claims He’s Trauma-Bonded to Me!
    “My abuser claims he’s ‘trauma bonded’ to me…Can that be true?This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a listener on YouTube who wants to know how common it is for an abusive partner to be trauma bonded. Hers claims to be. She’s wonders if this true or if her partner is attempting to dodge responsibility. Submit Your QuestionIf you’d like your question addressed on air, send it here: 👉 https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/fan-mailStay in Touch With Dr. Kerry!YoutubeInstagramTikTokFacebookMore About Dr. KerryKerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism. Her blogs have been featured in Mamami, YourTango, Scary Mommy, and The Good Men Project. In Love You More, Dr. McAvoy gives an uncensored glimpse into her survival of narcissistic abuse, and her workbook, First Steps to Leaving a Narcissist, helps victims break free from the confusion common in abusive relationships. She hosts the Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse podcast and offers trauma-related advice on social media.Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!Support the showDisclaimer: This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.
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  • Has Your Adult Child Gone No Contact? Here's How to Rebuild That Damaged Relationship
    Has your adult child gone no contact? Cut off all communication with you? Are you struggling to figure out how to repair things with them?There’s an alarming trend of adult children walking away from family connections called parental estrangement. Why is going no contact becoming the go-to way of handling strained relationships? And what can you do if it happens to you?This week, psychologist and author Dr. Joshua Coleman, author of Rules of Estrangement, joins Dr. Kerry to unpack why estrangement is on the rise and what actually helps parents reopen the door.Podcast Extra Exclusive InterviewFind the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here.More About the Podcast Extra Interview 🔹 When the problem isn’t just your child: in-laws as gatekeepers, grandkids used as leverage, and disrespect that crosses the line. In this members-only bonus, Dr. Joshua Coleman offers practical solutions, like boundary scripts, de-escalation moves, and how to say “no” to money requests. 👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview: https://substack.com/@breakingfreenarcabuse MORE ABOUT DR. JOSH COLEMAN WebsiteSubstackInstagramBook: Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the ConflictDR. JOSHUA COLEMAN is a psychologist in private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area and a Senior Fellow with the Council on Contemporary Families, a non-partisan organization of leading sociologists, historians, psychologists and demographers dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest research and best practice findings about American families. He is a frequent contributor to the Washington Post "Ask a Therapist" column and has also written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, NBC THINK, The Behavioral Scientist, CNN, MarketWatch, the San Francisco Chronicle, Greater Good Magazine, AEON, Huffington Post, Psychology Today, Variety, and more. He has given talks to the faculties at Harvard, the Weill Cornell Department of Psychiatry, UC Irvine, and other academic institutions. Stay in Touch With Dr. Kerry!YoutubeInstagramTikTokFacebookMore About Dr. KerryKerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism. Her blogs have been featured in Mamami, YourTango, Scary Mommy, and The Good Men Project. In Love You More, Dr. McAvoy gives an uncensored glimpse into her survival of narcissistic abuse, and her workbook, First Steps to Leaving a Narcissist, helps victims break free from the confusion common in abusive relationships. She hosts the Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse podcast and offers traumaSubmit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!Support the showDisclaimer: This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.
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  • Can a Psychopath ‘Choose’ to Be a Good Person?
    “Can narcissists or psychopaths ever live moral lives?”This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a listener who asks: “Do you think there are some narcissists or psychopaths who genuinely try to live moral lives—perhaps guided by religion or conscience—or are they all just pretending?”Her question was prompted by years of watching her ex, a man she believes to be a malignant narcissist, play the part of a “righteous” and religious man in public while being manipulative and cruel in private.In this episode, Dr. Kerry explores the complex intersection between moral development, conscience, and personality disorders.Submit Your Question If you’d like your question addressed on air, send it here: 👉 https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/fan-mail Stay in Touch With Dr. Kerry!YoutubeInstagramTikTokFacebookMore About Dr. KerryKerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism. Her blogs have been featured in Mamami, YourTango, Scary Mommy, and The Good Men Project. In Love You More, Dr. McAvoy gives an uncensored glimpse into her survival of narcissistic abuse, and her workbook, First Steps to Leaving a Narcissist, helps victims break free from the confusion common in abusive relationships. She hosts the Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse podcast and offers trauma-related advice on social media.Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!Support the showDisclaimer: This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.
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  • Why You Keep Picking Narcissists and What to Do About It, Featuring Jessica Baum
    Ever wonder why you keep attracting the same kind of person—the ones who feel magnetic at first but end up draining you emotionally?This week, therapist and author Jessica Baum, creator of Anxiously Attached and SAFE: An Attachment-Informed Guide to Building Secure Relationships, joins Dr. Kerry to explore the hidden attachment wounds that pull us toward toxic partners. Podcast Extra Exclusive InterviewFind the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here.More About the Podcast Extra Interview🔹 What does healing really look like after a narcissistic or toxic relationship? In this members-only bonus, therapist and author Jessica Baum dives deep into the real work of recovery—how safety, connection, and self-compassion rebuild what trauma once broke.👉 Get immediate access to this extended interview: https://substack.com/@breakingfreenarcabuseMORE ABOUT JESSICA BAUM GIFT FOR LISTENERSWebsiteBook - SAFE: An Attachment-Informed Guide to Building More Secure RelationshipsInstagramJESSICA BAUM, is a licensed psychotherapist whose journey began with a lifelong curiosity about the “Whys” of life—why we feel, connect, and experience the world the way we do. This passion led her to specialize in trauma, attachment theory, and interpersonal neurobiology. Jessica is the founder of the Relationship Institute of Palm Beach, a private group practice, and she leads a global coaching company offering support to clients worldwide. Stay in Touch With Dr. Kerry!YoutubeInstagramTikTokFacebookMore About Dr. KerryKerry Kerr McAvoy, Ph.D, a retired psychologist and author, is an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism. Her blogs have been featured in Mamami, YourTango, Scary Mommy, and The Good Men Project. In Love You More, Dr. McAvoy gives an uncensored glimpse into her survival of narcissistic abuse, and her workbook, First Steps to Leaving a Narcissist, helps victims break free from the confusion common in abusive relationships. She hosts the Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse podcast and offers trauma-related advice on social media.Submit your question to be answered on air to the Fan Mail link below!Support the showDisclaimer: This podcast/video is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute therapy, counseling, or professional mental health advice. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or your local emergency number.
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About Breaking Free from Narcissistic Abuse

Confused by your relationship? Do you catch yourself second-guessing, walking on eggshells, or feeling emotionally drained? Whether you’re still in the chaos or trying to rebuild after leaving, this podcast is your lifeline.Join retired psychologist Dr. Kerry McAvoy as she exposes the hidden dynamics of toxic relationships. You’ll learn how destructive personalities operate, the manipulative tactics they use, and the stages of abuse—plus the practical steps to heal and reclaim your life.If you’re ready to break free, rebuild your self-worth, and find lasting emotional freedom, hit play and start your recovery journey today.
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