Claim OwnershipThe Rising Beyond Podcast
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Are you ready to thrive as you are coming out of a toxic or abusive relationship? Join Sybil Cummin, a licensed professional counselor who has specialized in working with victims and survivors of domestic violence and narcissistic abuse for over a decade and runs a membership community for women on their healing journey. On this podcast you will finally feel understood and your experience will be validated as you learn tangible strategies to handle family court, coparent with your abuser, improve your connection with your children, and heal from the trauma of narcissistic abuse and domestic violence.
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What constitutes moral injury? It is quite possible that you have experienced enough trauma to have symptoms of PTSD after experiencing domestic violence or narcissistic abuse. And it is also possible that this is compounded by something even deeper; the destruction of your moral code. As promised in episode 50, I am doing a deep dive into all things moral injury so that I can help you become unstuck on your healing journey and find self-forgiveness which is required for healing. ...
Don’t sign off on your parenting plan until you have listened to this episode! There may be loopholes that a narcissistic ex-partner will exploit for years to come. Divorcing an abusive ex-partner leads to further abuse, called post-separation abuse, especially if you share children with them. The way our family court system is set up allows abuse to continue and at times actually seems to support the abuse. So, it is imperative that you know what loopholes to look out for ...
Did you grow up learning that you were never good enough? Did it feel normal when your abusive partner started their emotional and psychological abuse in your relationship? Growing up with a narcissistic parent can set you up for unhealthy relationships as an adult. Dr. Praveena specializes in working with adult children of narcissistic parents after her own experiences growing up. In this episode, we discuss how to change the thought patterns that were conditioned in your mind as...
Everyone talks about the escape from domestic violence or a narcissistic relationship. The resources and support are for those trying to escape the abuse. But what if you were not trying to escape? What if the reason you are now separated from your abuser is that you were discarded? In this episode, we look at the differences in support, perception, and reactions after separation from an abusive partner when the victim is discarded vs someone who left on their own volition and tim...
You dream of the day when you can find freedom and safety for yourself and your children. You escape your abusive partner and are ready to start healing. But years later, you are still dealing with the onslaught of abuse; not only from your abuser but from their family as well. This is what my guest, Aimee has been dealing with for the last 13 years. Aimee shares her story of her abusive relationship and the post-separation abuse she has experienced and the near lethal incid...
If you are like many of The Rising Beyond Community members, then your WHY is around keeping your children safe, physically and emotionally. Getting your children the support they need after leaving an abusive relationship with their other parent can feel extremely overwhelming, especially if they have to continue to see that parent without having you as a buffer. Based on my training as a play therapist, I want to share some tips on building your child’s resilience after this transitio...
What questions do you have about post separation abuse? I received many many questions before, during, and after a webinar I did for domesticshelters.org and know that many of you have the same questions. In this episode I will be answering five of the questions received. If you have not left your abuser yet, how can you prepare for post separation abuse? What should we make sure we do? What should we avoid?Do you have some suggestions for safely maintaining boundaries whi...
Did you ever feel the nagging voice of your intuition telling you to get out or to stop a wedding and then ignore it? You had dreams of a happy marriage and children and you were trying to will that into existence even when there were red flags waving in your face? My guest, Amanda Lee knows this all too well. In this week’s episode of The Rising Beyond Podcast, Amanda shares her experience of falling in love with her abuser and getting married even when her gut was telling her to...
If you have just separated from your abusive ex and are facing family court for the first time or if you have been doing this for a while, it is important to have realistic expectations and tangible skills to use as you go through this process. In this episode, you will learn what to expect and how to mitigate the challenges of family court with a high-conflict personality ex-partner before you go to court, during a court hearing and testimony, and then in the aftermath. Some of the top...
Even at your lowest, after experiencing trauma and domestic violence, it is possible to heal and find your purpose. This week’s guest, Misty Chaviers shares her story of abuse and how she was able years later to heal and find her purpose as an advocate and podcaster helping other victims. She is vulnerable and shares how she used drugs and alcohol and eating disorder behaviors as a way to cope with the pain. We discuss how important it is for professionals working in this ...
Does witnessing domestic violence in your family of origin have effects on your relationships in adulthood? My guest, Lovern Gordon shares her experiences of witnessing her father abuse her mother during her childhood and how this affected her self-worth and identity and led her into becoming a victim of domestic violence later in life. We discuss the misconception that we could pick out an abusive person by how they look and about the mask they wear for the outside world. ...
You get to that point in your relationship where you know you can no longer live with the control and abuse. You separate from your abuser and are left to pick up the pieces. Now what? How do I recover from this? Where do I even start the healing process? In this episode of The Rising Beyond Podcast, I have a conversation with Leanne Kanzler, a psychologist and coach on how she helps women and men who have separated from an abusive and controlling partner get back on their f...
How are you, really? With the Jeffrey Epstein coverage everywhere, many survivors are feeling triggered, angry, betrayed, and exhausted. The language in the media. The redactions. The victim blaming. The protection of powerful people. It is a reminder of the same power and control dynamics many of you are living through in family court and post separation abuse. In this episode, I am not breaking down the files or diving into case details. Instead, I am talking about the impact. Why this cove...
We have been conditioned to be polite over safe. To make others comfortable even when our bodies are signaling danger. To be small, sweet, accommodating. That conditioning increases risk for women, especially survivors of coercive control. What kept you safer inside an abusive relationship can make you more vulnerable outside of it. I unpack why love bombing is better understood as grooming. It is not just gifts or grand gestures. It is learning your values and vulnerabilities so they can be ...
A mother of three is navigating ongoing post-separation abuse from two different ex-partners. After disagreeing with a proposed school and therapist change, her second ex escalated with threats of full custody, weaponizing her trauma history and mental health. Shortly after, her first ex announced a move near the second ex, and she discovered the two men have been communicating. With limited financial resources, no attorney, and little outside support, she is trying to understand what is happ...
What happens when survivors of domestic violence and coercive control enter family court isn’t just anecdotal — it’s documented, researched, and deeply concerning. In this episode of The Rising Beyond Podcast, Sybil is joined by Joan S. Meier, Professor of Clinical Law at George Washington University Law School and founder of the National Family Violence Law Center, and Danielle Pollack, Policy Manager at the Center, to unpack what decades of research and policy work reveal about how family c...
What happens when one parent leans on a child emotionally and you are determined not to do the same? Many protective parents notice it quietly at first. Their child starts worrying about the other parent. They feel responsible for adult emotions. They try to comfort, reassure, or stabilize situations that are far beyond their role. And when you are isolated, overwhelmed, or under constant pressure, the temptation to lean back can feel very real. In this episode, Sybil explores why children ar...
Parenting plans, mediation, and negotiations are some of the most stressful parts of divorce — especially when abuse, coercive control, or high conflict are involved. In this episode of The Rising Beyond Podcast, Sybil is joined by Laura, a family law mediator and co-parenting coach, to unpack what mediation can look like when it is truly child-centered and trauma-informed — and when it isn’t. Laura brings years of experience mediating high-conflict parenting cases involving domestic violence...
In this Friday Coaching Corner, Sybil responds to a protective mother navigating ongoing post-separation abuse involving her highly gifted, autistic teenager. The abusive co-parent has repeatedly pulled the child into adult financial and legal conflicts, framing the protective parent as the cause of manufactured crises and positioning himself as the victim and rescuer. Over time, the child has become increasingly aligned with the abusive parent — repeating legal language, expressing contempt ...
Custody evaluations tend to bring up two very different reactions for survivors. For some, the idea of an evaluation is terrifying, especially if they have heard stories about how much power evaluators hold and how often survivors feel misunderstood or mischaracterized. For others, a custody evaluation feels like hope. It can feel like the moment they will finally be seen, believed, or taken seriously after months or years of being dismissed. Both reactions make sense. In this episode, we bre...
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