Not to Make This About Me But...

Hello, and welcome back! Today I am talking to Maria Bowbanks, founder of Spirit Wellbeing. Maria is an energy coach, author, survivor, and much more - and she's here today to tell us about her experience with coercive control as a young adult. We cover the relationship, initial red flags, gut instincts, stalking behaviours, and how Maria's escape to Australia, and the energy work she found there...

Today I am sharing a podcast episode from Everybody Has a Secret (EHAS). I was recently on as a guest to talk about the impacts of growing up with a narcissistic mother, as well as the work I do now to help others from similar backgrounds.  Annabelle/Belly is such a kind and thoughtful interviewer, and it was a pleasure to meet her and share this experience.  Thanks for listening, and here are the...

Hello and welcome back -  Today's episode is part two of my interview with Cameron McKay.  Cam is a fellow trauma survivor and creator of Shit Creek Survivors podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify. Last time, we spoke about Cam's experience being shot on duty when he was working as a police officer, and how being shot led to him unraveling things that had long been buried. This ep...

Hello and welcome back -  Today I am speaking with friend of the pod, Cameron McKay.  If you listened to episode 23, you'll recognize his voice. Cam is a fellow trauma survivor and creator of Shit Creek Survivors podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify. Together we talk about Cam's experience being shot on duty when he was working as a police officer. He talks a little about what th...

Hello and welcome back for part two of my conversation with Mia Döring. Today we are talking about how Mia moved on from the relationship with Tommy, what scars it left, and how she picked up the pieces and began to heal.  We also talk about her book: Any Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Prostitution in Ireland. A book that I wish I could read again for the first time. And she also mentions Baggage Rec...

Hello and welcome back -  Today I sit down with author, therapist, speaker, and survivor of narcissistic abuse and coercive control - Mia Döring. If you listened to season 1, you would have definitely heard me talk about her book: Any Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Prostitution in Ireland. If you haven't, I highly highly recommend it. It is a memoir that recounts her time growing up and becoming invo...

Hello and welcome back -  Today's episode is all about self advocacy. What is it, really - and what do we trauma survivors sometimes THINK it is. Where does gaslighting come in, and what does the body have to say about all of this?  Join me as I share my experiences from 2024... 2 years on! That's right, this episode is actually a throwback episode from a time in my life that was quite chaotic, an...

Hello and welcome back -  Today's episode is a longer one, and marks our first published interview. Join me as I talk with my good friend Melissa, and we hear her story of dealing with a very disagreeable neighbor and HOA member. You guessed it - Narcissism impacts you whether the person is a close personal friend, family member, romantic connection, or even a neighbor. Listen along and find out h...

Hello and welcome back -  Today's episode is focused on two important keys to tackling narcissistic abuse, experiencing recovery, and getting your life back. These are the two most important lessons I have learned in my healing journey, and they are the two things I focus on most with my coaching clients. They are: Embodiment and Self Love. Join me as I talk you through why these tools are so impo...

Today I am sharing a podcast episode from Sh!t Creek Survivors. I was recently on as a guest to talk about the impacts of narcissism. If you are a fan of my podcast, then you've heard a lot of this before, but maybe not as one story, reaching from my childhood to now.  Cam is a great interviewer, and I think there is a lot of value in this episode. While recording, I realised that we might have mo...

Hello and welcome back -  Today's episode is a short one. Join me as I talk about Sucidical Empathy, coined by Dr Gad Saad. It's an interesting topic, one which I think bears a lot of relevance to narcissistic dynamics.  I hope you enjoy. This episode was recorded on tiktok live, and as it was my first try, I didn't quite cover some of the practical applications I meant to at the end there! If you...

Hello and welcome back -  As you'll hear, I recorded this in January, but here we are in March.  What can I say? It's been a busy year, but I'm working on it! If you want to skip my New Years resolution chat - go to 10:20 In this episode, I'll finally cover grey rocking in detail, with examples of exactly how and why it will work for you when dealing with a narcissist.  If you have questions, thou...

Hello and welcome to Conformitygate. What does narcissism have to do with Stranger Things, you might be asking... In this episode, I'll dive into the parallels between what narcissists say and do, and how this relates to broader topics like the workplace, the government, Drs, and yes - Stranger Things. I'll also be covering why trust matters in this equation. It's a short ep this week, enjoy! If y...

Welcome back to season 2 of the pod. In this episode, join me (Allie) for an update on what's been happening since season 1 wrapped back in 2024! If you have questions, thoughts, or topics you’d like covered, you can email narcpod@gmail.com. If you — or someone you know — is interested in somatic coaching to support healing after narcissistic or coercive abuse, you can find more information at pra...

Hello and welcome to the last episode of season 1.   Thank you for joining us for this journey. We have learned so much since starting the pod in October, and boy has it been a wild ride.  Personally, professionally, emotionally - all the allys - so much has changed for us both. We will be taking a little bit of a break now, planning for season 2 and deciding what that looks like now that our love...

Join us for the penultimate episode of Season 1, where we wrap up our series on the types of narcissists by discussing the Benign, Cultural, and Mixed types. Thank you so much for being with us and listening/learning along side us as we have navigated this first season! Please stay tuned for our season finale, which will include a recap of the full season, an update on what we're both up to now, a...

After a short, unplanned break (which we will explain in the next two episodes), the girls are back, and this time we are talking about Neglectful Narcissism.  Being in relationship with a Neglectful Narcissist comes with unique challenges, especially around feeling valued and appreciated, and how lacking these things leads to a feeling of being on the sidelines of your own life. As always, if you...

In this episode, the girls continue their not so mini series on 'types' of Narcissism, and take on Communal Narcissism.  Listen along and learn about this type, which is just about opposite from the Malignant type. Last week, we delved into behaviours which are much easier to spot, most of the time. This week, we are talking about the complexities around doing the right thing, for the wrong reason...

In this episode, the girls continue their miniseries on 'types' of Narcissism, and take on Malignant Narcissism.  Listen along and learn about this type, which is incredibly different from both the Grandiose and Covert types. Last week we learned a lot about Covert Narcissism, which presents as an undercurrent of abuse and control. This week, we delve into behaviours which are much easier to spot,...

In this episode, the girls continue their miniseries on 'types' of Narcissism, and take on Covert Narcissism.  Listen along and learn about this type, and stick with us over the coming weeks to learn how differently these traits can present, so you can better deal with the narcissists (or narcissistic traits) in your life. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or you have an idea for som...

In this episode, the girls start a miniseries on the different types of Narcissism. It's important to consider the different 'types' when we talk about narcissists because they are each unique, meaning that narcissistic trait expression can look very different from one type to another. If we don't know what we're looking for, or how it will manifest, how can we protect ourselves? Today Allie and A...

In this episode, Allie and Alison talk about a tough one: Boundaries. For those of us who have experienced trauma, creating boundaries can be difficult - even in the healthiest of relationships. It's even harder to keep ourselves protected in harmful or high-demand relationships. Today the girls will talk about their experiences setting boundaries with narcissists, and how you can do it too. With...

In this episode, Alison and Allie talk about narcissists and their favorite phrases. From "you always overreact" to "I'm sorry... BUT" there are many phrases that are typical to hear from a narcissist. Allie and Alison share a few of their favorites today, and unpack the pain and trauma caused by some of these, often thoughtless and sometimes intentional, expressions. As always, if you have any qu...

In this episode, Alison and Allie talk about Coercive Control, and the signs (or red flags) to look out for to test if you are in a coercively controlling relationship. This is a brief overview - if you want to know more about Coercive Control, this link will help: CPS.Gov As always, if you have any questions, comments, or you have an idea for something you'd like to see us cover on the podcast, y...

In this episode, the girls break down Coercive Control. What does this term mean, and how can understanding this psychological phenomenon help us in our daily lives? As always, if you have any questions, comments, or you have an idea for something you'd like to see us cover on the podcast, you can reach us at narcpod@gmail.com. If you like what you've heard, please like and subscribe to our podcas...