Family

Why Your Kids May Have Blamed You for the Narcissist’s Abuse — and What to Do Now

A listener from Texas writes in: after escaping a narcissistic marriage, her adult daughter is now demanding that she admit that she was an abuser too. How does she reach her daughter now? In this episode, Dr Kerry unpacks one of the most painful and least-talked-about consequences of narcissistic abuse — what happens to your children when you stay. How do you hold two devastating truths at the same time: you were a victim, and your child was hurt by your inability to leave? Subm…

Childhood Neglect: The Hidden Damage From Narcissistic Families That Follows You Into Every Relationship

Did you experience childhood neglect? If you keep repeating painful patterns in your relationships — choosing wrong partners, feeling invisible, never asking for what you need — this might be why. Dr. Rachna Buxani, author of “Unseen,” joins Dr. Kerry to expose the hidden roles children are assigned in narcissistic family systems — and the lasting damage those roles leave behind in every relationship you’ll ever have. Childhoos neglect doesn’t stay in childhood — it follows you. PODCAST E…

The Dark Truth About Growing Up Without a Mother’s Love

A listener from Australia writes in: “l have been jealous of women who are loved unconditionally because being raised by a mother who cannot or does not love you, fully and completely without condition, entangles every aspect of you until many women are seething with anger, confusion, and hate.” In this episode, Kerry McAvoy, PhD explores why the mother wound – the emotional neglect left by a mother who withheld unconditional love – runs so deep. Whether your mother was narcissistic, em…

My Brother Is Stealing My Mother’s Final Years & She Refuses to Stop Him

Take the Toxic or Troubled? Quiz and get specialized help for your specific situation. https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/toxic-troubled-survey My 62-year-old narcissistic brother moved in with my 86-year-old mother “temporarily” after his divorce six years ago. Now she’s suffocating, the rest of the family stays away, and she won’t let anyone intervene. In this episode, Dr. Kerry explains why some mothers choose guilt over peace — and what to do when someone refuses to set healthy rela…

Gone No Contact? Why Some Parents Have to Push Away Their Kids

Why do loving parents sometimes push away the very children they’d do anything for? This week, Catherine Hickem joins Dr. Kerry to unpack one of the most painful dynamics in modern families—parental estrangement. We explore how unspoken expectations create invisible walls, why parents mistake control for connection, and how grief work (yes, grief work) is the secret to letting your adult children become who they actually are, not who you needed them to be. PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE …

Is It Really Estrangement… Or Is Your Toxic Ex Playing Parental Alienation Games?

A listener pushes back and asks, “How do we know the parent claiming alienation isn’t actually the abuser manipulating the narrative?” When a child rejects contact with a parent after separation, is it parental alienation or justified estrangement? In this week’s fan mail, a listener pushes back with a challenge about a previous episode that aired October 16, 2025, titled “Why Does My Ex Always Blame Me When the Kids Want Nothing to Do with Him?” This listener wanted to know how to tell whe…

Narcissistic In-Laws: Why They Deny the Truth (and What to Do)

Ever wonder why your in-laws rallied around your abusive partner instead of protecting you? This episode explores one of the most painful dynamics in narcissistic abuse: when families choose to protect the abuser and paint YOU as the problem. We revisit a past interview with Rossana where she shares her firsthand experience of this dynamic along with a Fan Mail listener who experienced something similar. PODCAST EXTRA Next week, the Podcast Extra exclusive interviews will re…

When Your Family Chooses the Narcissist Over You: What Survivors Must Know

Ever felt like you’re the problem in your family—even when you’re the one being hurt? This week, Ágatha Peters joins Dr. Kerry to explore how cultural expectations and family loyalty create the perfect conditions for narcissistic abuse to thrive undetected. PODCAST EXTRA EXCLUSIVE SEGMENT Find the exclusive second segment and weekly newsletter here. MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST EXTRA INTERVIEW Stuck as the family scapegoat? Wondering how to survive when you can’t leave? Ág…

Were You the Family Scapegoat? Why Sensitive People Get Targeted First

This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a Spotify listener: “Can you please do an episode on scapegoat children?” Why do some people get scapegoated, especially in families? Dr. Kerry explains the role of the scapegoat and how families use this person to address systemic stress and dysfunctional. Submit Your Question If you’d like your question addressed on air, send it here: 👉 https://kerrymcavoyphd.fillout.com/fan-mail Submit your question to be answered on air here! Re…

How Do I Help My Adult Son Who’s in an Abusive Marriage?

“My son’s in a toxic marriage—how do we help without making it worse?” This week’s Fan Mail question comes from a listener in Raleigh, North Carolina: “My adult son is in a toxic marriage with a likely narcissist. He’s miserable, says he wants out, but stays—partly because of their three young kids. How can we support him when he shares the emotional abuse without pushing or making things worse?” In this episode, Dr. Kerry explains how best to support a loved one who’s being abused—especially…