Narcissistic abuse. Gaslighting. Coercive control. Legal abuse.
In this episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships, we sit down with Skye Bellarmine, author of the Breaking Solace trilogy, to talk about surviving 20 years of narcissistic abuse, the moment she realized she wasn’t “crazy,” and the practical steps that helped her leave, heal, and rebuild.

Skye shares how narcissists weaponize reputation (“she’s too sensitive,” “she’s brain damaged”), how they use financial control, and why survivors often feel hypervigilant even after the relationship ends. We also unpack gray rock, the role of faith during separation and divorce, and Skye’s powerful tool: writing your “20 reasons why” so you don’t get pulled back into doubt and love-bombing.

You’ll hear:

• What a narcissistic rage looks like (and why it feels unreal)
• How gaslighting erodes self-trust—and how to protect yourself
• Why narcissists drag out divorces and use courts to punish (“legal abuse”)
• Why building a tribe matters (attorney, support, trusted friends)
• How trauma bonds and love-bombing keep people stuck
• Why telling your story (writing/podcasting/journaling) helps survivors come back to themselves

Guest: Skye Bellarmine — author of Breaking Solace & Escaping Solace

Skye's Website: https://www.skyebellarmine.com

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Our book is available here: https://amzn.to/45VZISD

Not sure what you’re noticing yet?
↓ Discernment Checklist ↓ https://the-matadoras.kit.com/survivingtoxicrelationships

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

Conflict doesn’t mean failure, it means information.

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Jen Fry explores why self-advocacy, boundaries, and conflict resolution are essential skills, especially for women navigating toxic relationships, people-pleasing patterns, and emotional burnout.

Women are often taught to avoid conflict at all costs, but avoidance comes with a price: anxiety, resentment, loss of self-trust, and damaged mental health. Dr. Fry introduces the concept of micro advocacy—small, intentional acts of self-advocacy that build confidence, self-worth, and emotional resilience over time.

Together, we unpack:

-Why conflict is a learned skill, not a personality flaw
-How setting boundaries protects mental health
-Why your first no is often the easiest one
-How conflict reveals the depth (or limits) of relationships
-Practical steps for navigating toxic relationships safely

Why teaching children conflict resolution is essential for healthier communities

This episode is for anyone ready to stop shrinking, start speaking, and learn how to navigate conflict in a way that leads to personal growth, clarity, and empowerment.

This video explores conflict as a teachable skill rather than something to be feared, challenging societal conditioning that encourages women to prioritize peace and silence at the expense of their well-being. Dr. Jen Fry discusses why engaging in conflict is crucial for mental health, contributing to personal growth and self improvement. She introduces micro-advocacy as a way to build confidence and highlights that effective conflict resolution is key to healthy relationships.

Find Dr. Jen Fry at: https://jenfrytalks.com

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Not sure what you’re noticing yet?
↓ Discernment Checklist ↓ https://the-matadoras.kit.com/survivingtoxicrelationships

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

In this powerful story, a teenager’s quick thinking after a devastating car crash leads to a startling discovery—one that forces him to confront years of emotional abuse, silence, and buried truth.

In this episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships, we sit down with Steve Eichenblatt, attorney and author of Pretend They Are Dead, to explore the lasting impact of childhood trauma and the quiet ways it shapes identity, relationships, and self-worth. At just sixteen years old, Steve witnessed a horrific accident and realized the severely injured man he helped save was his biological father—the same father who had abandoned him years earlier.

That single moment reopened a lifetime of unresolved pain, emotional neglect, and fear-based control. Like many survivors of childhood trauma, Steve learned early how to survive by staying silent. For decades, he carried this experience alone, unaware of how deeply it influenced his relationships, marriages, and sense of self.

This conversation highlights what it truly means to overcome a victim mentality. It is a testimony of self-improvement and personal growth, rooted in the conscious decision to stop living defined by past wounds. Steve shares how healing required accountability, vulnerability, faith, and the courage to confront what was hidden.

This episode serves as a reminder that trauma does not have the final word. Moving beyond survival is possible—and choosing healing is always allowed.

You are not crazy. You are not alone. And growth can begin, even after years of silence.

Thank you for our special guest, Steve Eichenblatt
https://www.stevenscotteichenblatt.com/
You can find a copy of his book using the link below:
Pretend They Are Dead: A Father's Search for the Truth: https://bit.ly/4ad8VIF

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Not sure what you’re noticing yet?
↓ Discernment Checklist ↓ https://the-matadoras.kit.com/survivingtoxicrelationships

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

This episode is for anyone who has ever asked:
“Why am I still paying the price for someone else’s abuse?”

In this powerful episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships, hosts Deana and Lizzie sit down with Joni Woods, a certified life coach, culture strategist, and founder of Journey Coaching, to discuss what happens after you leave a toxic or narcissistic relationship—especially when the family system turns against you.

Joni shares her deeply personal story of surviving narcissistic abuse, navigating a contentious divorce, and enduring the devastating aftermath when her ex-husband passed away and his family turned their anger toward her and her children. What followed was court battles, emotional trauma, and the painful reality of watching her children suffer collateral damage from unresolved bitterness and manipulation.

Together, we explore:

• How narcissistic abuse impacts children long after a relationship ends
• Why toxic family systems often protect the abuser
• The emotional intelligence skills survivors need to heal and lead their families forward
• How to communicate boundaries without guilt or fear
• Recognizing when you’re staying out of fear instead of safety or truth
• What it looks like to parent through trauma with honesty and resilience

If you are a survivor of emotional abuse, narcissistic relationships, or family trauma—and you’re trying to protect your children while rebuilding your life—this conversation will leave you feeling seen, validated, and empowered.

You can find Joni Woods and her work through the link below.

https://journeylifecoaching.life/

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Not sure what you’re noticing yet?
↓ Discernment Checklist ↓ https://the-matadoras.kit.com/survivingtoxicrelationships

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

In this powerful episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships, with Deana and Lizzie sit down with Brooke DeBoer, author of Living the Free Life and a life coach whose journey from bullying and emotional abuse to healing and freedom is both deeply personal and incredibly inspiring.

Brooke shares how years of peer bullying, emotional trauma, unhealthy relationships, and limiting beliefs shaped her self-worth—and how faith, counseling, self-care, and mindset work helped her break free. From childhood bullying and emotionally abusive relationships to becoming a confident woman, coach, and published author, Brooke offers hope for anyone who feels stuck, unseen, or trapped by their past.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How bullying and emotional abuse impact adult relationships
• Why limiting beliefs keep women stuck in toxic patterns
• The connection between trauma, faith, and self-worth
• How religious pressure can become a form of emotional control
• Practical steps to heal, rebuild confidence, and live free
• Why choosing yourself is often an act of faith

If you’ve ever struggled with:

• Low self-esteem after bullying
• Emotional abuse or manipulation
• Fear of leaving a toxic relationship
• Religious guilt keeping you stuck
• Feeling “unlovable” or not enough

This episode will remind you: healing is possible, freedom is real, and your past does not define your future.

🔗 Guest Resources:

🌐 Website: https://thebrookdeboer.com
📘 Book: Living the Free Life (available on Amazon & audiobook platforms)

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

In this gripping episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships with Deana and Lizzie sit down with Ken Childs, a veteran Los Angeles private investigator whose 25-year career includes celebrity cases, criminal investigations, and exposing double lives.

Ken opens up about the rise of online deception, emotional cheating, and how narcissists use manipulation and control to hide their true selves. He shares insider tips on:

• How private investigators uncover hidden relationships and fraud.
• Why online “truth finder” apps often miss the real story.
• How to recognize early warning signs and trust your instincts.
• Simple steps to protect your identity, safety, and peace of mind in today’s digital dating world.

If you’ve ever questioned someone’s truth—or your own intuition—this episode will open your eyes.

Kenneth Childs, PI:

https://licensed-investigator.com

LinkedIn

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

In this deeply personal episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships, Lizzie shares her full story—one that spans faith, marriage, motherhood, religious abuse, emotional control, and survival.

From marrying young with the belief that God had ordained the relationship, to enduring years of infidelity, manipulation, and spiritual coercion, Lizzie opens up about what it means to love God deeply while living in a marriage that slowly eroded her safety, identity, and voice.

She shares the realities of:

• Religious abuse and misused Scripture
• Emotional control and walking on eggshells
• Staying “for the children” while losing yourself
• The moment fear became undeniable—and survival became necessary
• Rebuilding life as a single mother of four
• Discovering that not all abuse looks the same, even years later
• Finding clarity, community, and healing after toxic relationships

This episode also honors the power of motherhood, the long road of family healing, and the courage it takes to break generational cycles so that the next generation can live with discernment, freedom, and truth.

If you have ever questioned your faith because of a toxic relationship, felt torn between obedience and safety, or wondered if God could still redeem your story—this episode is for you.

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships

Episode 81: If you’ve ever dreamed of writing a book—or wondered if it’s too late—this inspiring episode is for you.

In this powerful conversation on Surviving Toxic Relationships, hosts Deana and Lizzie talk with Terry Whalin—author, editor, literary agent, and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing—about how midlife can become the perfect time to tell your story, share your testimony, and transform your pain into purpose through writing.

Terry has written more than 60 books and worked with over 50 magazines, giving him a unique perspective on both sides of the editorial desk. Together, they explore how to publish your first book, how to choose between traditional, self, and hybrid publishing, and what it really takes to bring your story to life.

If you’ve come out of a toxic relationship, survived trauma, or simply feel called to write and leave a legacy—this episode will give you clarity, courage, and practical steps to begin.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The three main publishing paths—and how to choose the right one for your goals
• Why midlife is the perfect time to write your story or memoir
• How to start with a strong book proposal that opens doors
• Common publishing myths that keep writers stuck
• How to use magazine writing and short stories to build your credibility
• Faith-based encouragement to turn your healing journey into purpose

Special Resources Mentioned:

• Free book proposal guide: BookProposals.ws
  
  
• Terry’s book 10 Publishing Myths with $200 in bonuses: PublishingOffer.com

🎙️ Stay Connected with Us!
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @survivingrelationships12
🎵 Follow us on TikTok: @survivingtoxicrel
🌐 Visit our website: survivingtoxicrelationships.org

Contact us anytime at our email: care@survivingtoxicrelationships.org

📘 Join our Facebook community: Surviving Toxic Relationships