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Emotional Abuse Is Real
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Emotional Abuse Is Real

Author: Sarene Leeds, Emotional and Narcissistic Abuse Survivor

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Professional writer and storyteller Sarene Leeds welcomes survivors and clinical experts to share their stories and insights on emotional abuse and narcissistic abuse. By sharing their experiences, these guests can offer hope and support to others healing from their own trauma and invisible scars. 

71 Episodes
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Send us a textOn today’s episode, we conclude my conversation with emotional and narcissistic abuse survivor Josephine*. A reminder that if you haven’t listened to Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 yet, now is a good time to go catch up.In Part 4 of my conversation with Josephine, we wrap up her story by discussing her acrimonious divorce from her first husband, and how she eventually connected with her supportive second husband. Even though Josephine is in a healthy marriage now, she and her daughte...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, we’re continuing my conversation with emotional and narcissistic abuse survivor Josephine*. If you haven’t listened to the first two parts of our conversation yet, now is a good time to hit pause and catch up on Part 1 and Part 2.In Part 3 of my discussion with Josephine, she opens up about her relationship with a man who ultimately raped her, which was followed by a marriage to a different, yet equally abusive guy. Josephine’s first husband was neglectful, b...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, we’re continuing my conversation with emotional and narcissistic abuse survivor Josephine*. If you haven’t listened to Part 1 of our conversation yet, now is a good time to go listen to last week’s episode. For Part 2 of my discussion with Josephine, we delve further into her relationship with the controlling partner she introduced in Part 1. As you may remember, Josephine discovered she was pregnant by this man, and decided to get an abortion. In this e...
Send us a textToday’s episode kicks off a four-part series featuring an emotional and narcissistic abuse survivor named Josephine* In Part 1, Josephine and I discuss her childhood experiences with emotional abuse. This, regrettably, led to a pattern of unhealthy relationships. As a young adult, Josephine began dating a controlling partner, and she soon found herself facing an unplanned pregnancy...*Name changed to protect the survivor's privacySupport the showGet my free download, "Discover Y...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, I’m thrilled to welcome two very special guests: Sarah Jacobs, Esq. and Jamie Berger, Esq. of Jacobs Berger, LLC. If you’re a longtime listener to “Emotional Abuse Is Real,” then you’ll likely recognize these names. Sarah and Jamie are my first-ever returning guests after appearing on the podcast in late November 2023. As you may remember, they are family law attorneys based in Morristown, New Jersey, who specialize in high-conflict divorces involving narciss...
Send us a textWe’re back! I hope you all had a lovely summer and that you’re looking forward to delving into several new stories on the podcast. I’m so excited to share my chat with my guest, Lisa*, with you today. Despite caring for a toddler and a newborn, she found a way to leave her narcissistic husband and start her life over again. Like so many who have appeared on this podcast, she is an inspiration to the countless others out there listening. *Name changed to protect ...
Send us a text“Emotional Abuse Is Real” is still on its August hiatus, but I have another bonus episode for your listening pleasure today: My second guest appearance on Krista Dykes' podcast "Secret Mom Hacks." This time around, we're discussing what it's like to parent a neurodivergent child -- and I have plenty of firsthand experience with that!Don't forget to check out Krista's appearances on "Emotional Abuse Is Real" from back in June. You can listen to her episodes here and here.Hope you...
Send us a text“Emotional Abuse Is Real” is still on its August hiatus, but I have a special bonus episode for your listening pleasure today. A couple of weeks ago, I appeared as a guest on Krista Dykes' podcast "Secret Mom Hacks" where we discussed all things breastfeeding -- the good, the bad, and the ugly.You may remember Krista from when she appeared on "Emotional Abuse Is Real" back in June. Check out her episodes here and here. Hope you enjoy, and I'll be back in September with all...
Send us a textToday’s episode was originally going to feature another emotional abuse survivor sharing her story. But, unfortunately, this person asked me to hold the episode for the time being because she’s still experiencing threats from her narcissistic abuser. I completely understand where she’s coming from, so I agreed to her request. The podcast is taking a brief hiatus in August, but I promise I’ll be back with all new episodes in September.The good news is that you won’t be compl...
Send us a textThe podcast's dedicated series on MLMs and toxic health and wellness groups wraps up with a cautionary tale from an anonymous listener. In today's episode, Sarene narrates Nella's* account of her time in an MLM. Joining an MLM seemed an almost natural progression for Nella after she grew up around Avon and Tupperware parties. But like so many others before her, Nella eventually woke up to the business’ predatory recruiting and pressure-filled tactics. *Name changed to protect th...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, Sarene welcomes Kim Peirano, a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine who has firsthand experience of emotional abuse and coercive control in health and wellness groups. As you’ll hear during our conversation, an organization she initially thought was a meditation school, turned out to be a cult. Dr. Kim also shares a multitude of tips on how to spot cult-like situations as well as ways to keep yourself safe when exploring alternative health options.Conne...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, we’re talking more about emotional abuse in multi-level marketing companies with my guest, Luana Barajas. Luana lives in Southern California, she’s a mom to three kids, works full-time as a middle school teacher, and recently published her debut novel, V. As a Latina in a predominantly white MLM, Luana experienced not only the typical predatory behavior of MLMs but also performative allyship toward BIPOC consultants following the murder of George Floyd. ...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, I’m continuing my series on emotional abuse in multi-level marketing companies with my guest, Rachel Goldberg. Rachel is a licensed marriage and family therapist based in the Los Angeles area, and as you’ll hear throughout our conversation, she has a lot of experience working with women, especially new moms, who have been lured in by MLMs. Rachel offers a clinical perspective from all sides of the MLM pyramid, as she’s worked with clients who have both “faile...
Send us a textFor the second episode in my series dedicated to MLMs and toxic health and wellness groups, I’m thrilled to welcome Lily Thrope to the podcast. Lily is a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in New York City, specializing in disordered eating and body image. When she was in college, Lily fell into a group that she now calls a “yoga cult.” While the group Lily joined wasn’t a multilevel marketing business per se, you’ll discover through our conversation that it hel...
Send us a textToday we're kicking off my second-ever dedicated series – and this time, I’m focusing on emotional abuse stemming from multi-level marketing companies (aka MLMs). In this episode, I explain what exactly an MLM is, and I give some backstory as to why I’m so interested in unpacking the problems connected to MLMs and similarly toxic health and wellness groups. Additional Resources on MLMs:The Dream podcastHerbalife segment from Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Hey Hun, ...
Send us a textIn last week’s episode, Krista Dykes, host of the "Secret Mom Hacks" podcast, opened up about her toxic and abusive first marriage. At the end of the episode, she mentions a phone call that “shattered” her. As you’ll learn from today’s conversation, the phone call was from a local detective, who confirmed that Krista’s husband’s suspicious, manipulative behavior extended into horrifying criminal activity. We discuss how Krista’s marriage finally fell apart, and how she eventuall...
Send us a textToday’s episode is a little different, as I go back to the style of the podcast’s early episodes: Just me, a microphone, and a story. I share a personal emotional abuse story that I don’t talk about that much publicly, because there’s a "family" component. I'm opening up because I don't want to keep silent about this experience anymore. Support the showGet my free download, "Discover Your Brand Voice in 3 Easy Steps"Follow me on InstagramListen to the podcast on Y...
Send us a textOn today’s episode, Sarene chats with Kat*, a woman who, despite leaving her emotionally abusive partner, is still navigating the rough waters of co-parenting her young daughter with a narcissist. Kat credits this podcast – which she discovered on YouTube – as well as online support groups, with helping her find the courage to end her destructive relationship. *Kat is a pseudonym to protect the survivor's privacy. Support the showGet my free download, "Discover Your Br...
Send us a textOn today's episode, Sarene chats with Donna Piper. Donna is a relationship coach and trauma expert who specializes in helping successful single women heal from their trauma. We also delve into the concept of Akashic Records, one of the tools Donna uses when working with clients on their healing journey. Connect with Donna:WebsiteInstagramSarene's appearance on "The Covert Narcissism Podcast"Support the showGet my free download, "Discover Your Brand Voice in 3 Easy Steps"Fo...
Send us a textThe podcast's toxic workplace series wraps up today with Sarene's guest, Dr. Christine Gibson. Dr. Gibson is a Canada-based family physician, trauma therapist, author of The Modern Trauma Toolkit, and TikTok influencer under the handle @TikTokTraumaDoc. Dr. Gibson also runs a company that trains professionals to manage workplace trauma called Safer Spaces Training. During our conversation, Dr. Gibson demonstrates some super-easy breathwork strategies to help people regulate...
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