The elusive landscape of safe disclosure — In this digital age of NSA surveillance and cancel culture, the need for privacy and taking measures to assure that unauthorized intrusion and assault does not occur is crucial. Yet the basic right to use guile, erect boundaries, enforce limits and keep things to ourselves has become increasingly more difficult…

The challenges of showing up as a source of comfort amid a surreal landscape of traumatic abuse — “Love is a decision, it is a judgment, it is a promise.” ~ Erich Fromm (The Art of Loving) Whether it be from a friend, a colleague, sibling, one’s spouse, a parent or a mental health provider, victims of narcissistic abuse benefit from safe validating support from those in their…

Unmasking the dark mind — Perusing daily news coverage has become a debilitating pursuit. Along with not knowing what is credible, just a basic rundown of the Middle East, Ukraine, the sanctioned criminality of Blackrock, mass shootings in the states, ethnic rivalries, congressional felony charges, the FTX fiasco, and WW III innuendo is enough to…

Overcoming fears with embodying personal authority and power — There is a trend I’ve come to recognize as a trauma informed clinician who treats survivors of narcissistic abuse. Specifically, although survivors excavate the minutiae of narcissistic abuse with gusto and zeal, when it comes to turning the focus on one’s own psychological composition and dispositions, resistance kicks in. Truth…

Don’t miss this FREE event! — If you’ve ever struggled with overcoming the effects of narcissistic abuse and childhood trauma, then the Trusting After Trauma, Season 5 — Finding Freedom After Narcissistic Abuse Summit is an invaluable Free resource for you. I and several other well-known experts have joined Pi Venus Winslow in a discussion that…

The motives of those driven to shatter dreams — I remember the day so clearly. My mother, as debilitated as she was by chronic schizophrenia, managed to take me to my acting class at the Little Theatre School on Church Avenue in Brooklyn N.Y. There, at ten years old I was given a platform to safely access my imagination…

Formulating a relational blueprint that raises the bar — When I recall memories of allowing others to walk all over me I am beset with sadness and regret. Like many of the folks I see for complex trauma treatment, this pattern of abdicating standards, dealbreakers or basic relational preferences was rooted in core relational injuries incurred through familial grooming…

When truth-tellers are silenced and discredited — “In order to escape accountability for his crimes, the perpetrator does everything in his power to promote forgetting. If secrecy fails, the perpetrator attacks the credibility of his victim. If he cannot silence her absolutely, he tries to make sure no one listens.” ~ Judith Lewis Herman, Trauma and Recovery…

The struggle between purposeful living and mediocrity — As of late folks in my professional and personal orbit have been complaining about not feeling inspired. Whether it’s due to disappointing relationships, the monotony of daily life, a trite pop culture or a disillusioning geopolitical landscape, being mentally charged, impassioned, or primed to mobilize oneself in life affirming ways…