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In this powerful episode of The Healing Lounge, Marcia Williams sits down with yoga instructor, meditation guide, and life coach Tarisha Fields, whose story of survival and self-reclamation after narcissistic abuse will move you to your core.

What begins as a conversation between two women who’ve walked similar paths unfolds into a raw and heartfelt journey through love, loss, self-discovery, and freedom.

For 17 years, Tarisha fought to hold together a marriage built on emotional manipulation and betrayal. Like so many survivors, she believed love could fix everything — if she just gave more, sacrificed more, and stayed loyal enough, it would finally be enough. But behind her strength and smile was quiet misery — a woman carrying the weight of everyone else’s needs while silently losing herself.

When her husband left, she hit rock bottom — collapsing on her mother’s porch, praying for strength to survive. That breakdown became her breakthrough. What followed was years of rebuilding, self-reflection, and ultimately, rebirth.

In this candid interview, Tarisha opens up about:

• The patterns of over-giving, people-pleasing, and rescuing that kept her trapped in cycles of pain
• The moment of surrender that changed everything and began her true healing journey
• How she unknowingly entered another narcissistic relationship — and what finally woke her up
• Why she says, “My healing began when I finally made it all about me.”
• The daily tools that sustain her peace — yoga, breathwork, journaling, and community
• The power of self-forgiveness and why you must forgive yourself before you can forgive them
• How she now helps other women heal through her business, Empower Her Within, and her book Her Inner Place: A 60-Day Journey to Cultivating Self-Love, Self-Awareness, and Self-Acceptance

This episode is a love letter to every woman who has ever stayed too long, loved too hard, or lost herself trying to fix someone else. It’s a reminder that healing isn’t about perfection — it’s about permission. Permission to pause, to breathe, to listen, and to start again.

If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “Why do I keep ending up in these kinds of relationships?” or “How do I begin to trust myself again?” — Tarisha’s story will remind you that peace is not only possible — it’s waiting for you.

Tune in, take notes, and take heart — because your healing begins

For 30 years, Marcia Williams lived in silence inside a marriage with a narcissist. In her powerful memoir GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse, she shares the raw truth of that journey and the courageous steps she took to reclaim her peace.

This book is more than a survivor’s story. It’s a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment for anyone trapped in the cycle of narcissistic abuse.

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If you listened to Part 1, you know we covered the hardest part — waking up to the truth, letting go of the fantasy, and quietly planning your exit.

But once you leave the narcissist, a whole new journey begins.
In Part 2, Licensed Therapist and Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach Marcia Williams opens up about the next four steps — the part no one prepares you for:

• Step 4: Protecting the Kids — Breaking the cycle without breaking them, and creating emotional safety when the narcissist uses your children as leverage.
• Step 5: Don’t Expect Closure — Why accountability never comes and how to find peace without it.
• Step 6: The Withdrawal — Surviving the hoovering, the silence, and the emotional crash that comes after you leave.
• Step 7: Rebuilding You — Rediscovering who you are beyond survival, facing the shame, and learning to live free again.

Marcia shares the raw, real parts of her story — what it felt like to start over in her best friend’s basement, to face life 1,000 miles away from everything familiar, and to finally begin rebuilding her identity and peace.

If you’ve left a narcissist and you’re wondering “What now?” — this episode will remind you that healing isn’t about going back to who you were. It’s about becoming who you were meant to be.

And if this series spoke to you, I want to invite you deeper into this healing work.

You can start by reading my book “Groomed: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse.”

Or, if you’re ready for guided support, join my 7-Week Passage to Peace Program, where survivors just like you learn to heal, rebuild, and reconnect with themselves in a safe community.

You don’t have to do this alone — your healing begins the moment you decide you deserve peace more than you fear change.

For 30 years, Marcia Williams lived in silence inside a marriage with a narcissist. In her powerful memoir GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse, she shares the raw truth of that journey and the courageous steps she took to reclaim her peace.

This book is more than a survivor’s story. It’s a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment for anyone trapped in the cycle of narcissistic abuse.

If you’ve ever wondered “Why can’t I just leave?”—you’re not weak. Trauma bonds are powerful, invisible chains that keep you tied to narcissistic abuse.

This free checklist will help you:

• Identify the signs of trauma bonding
• Understand the hidden hooks
• Take small steps to begin loosening the bond
• Replace shame with empowerment through affirmations and reflection

You don’t have to stay stuck. Start breaking the bond today.

Support the show

Get "GROOMED"

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Share your comments with Marcia

Leaving a narcissist isn’t about packing a bag — it’s about reclaiming your mind, your power, and your peace.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why can’t I just walk away?” — or if you’ve left but still feel that emotional pull that keeps you wondering if you made the right choice — this episode is for you.

In this first part of the series, Licensed Therapist and Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Coach Marcia Williams walks you through the first three steps that helped her move from confusion to clarity, from fear to freedom:

• Step 1: The Wake-Up Call — Seeing the truth through the fog and recognizing emotional abuse for what it really is.
• Step 2: Emotional Detachment — Letting go of the fantasy and beginning to separate emotionally before you ever leave.
• Step 3: Safety First — Quietly planning your exit, starting in your mind long before you ever walk out the door.

Marcia continues to pull back the curtain on her own story — the tears, the fear, the phone bills, the kids, the basement, and the slow climb back to peace.
These are the same steps she now uses to help hundreds of survivors break free from narcissistic abuse and rebuild their lives.

So grab your journal, take a deep breath, and settle in.
By the end of this episode, you’ll know this truth: you can leave, you can heal, and you can rebuild your life one courageous step at a time.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where Marcia continues with the final steps — protecting your kids, releasing the need for closure, surviving the withdrawal, and reclaiming your peace.

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Groomed: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse
• Join the 7-Week Passage to Peace Program → www.thepassagetopeace.com
• Free resource: The Trauma Bond Breaker Checklist

For 30 years, Marcia Williams lived in silence inside a marriage with a narcissist. In her powerful memoir GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse, she shares the raw truth of that journey and the courageous steps she took to reclaim her peace.

This book is more than a survivor’s story. It’s a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment for anyone trapped in the cycle of narcissistic abuse.

Support the show

Get "GROOMED"

Follow me on Instagram!

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Subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

Join my FaceBook Group!

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Share your comments with Marcia

What does it take to finally trust yourself again after decades of gaslighting, manipulation, and emotional abuse? In this powerful episode of The Healing Lounge, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow survivor, Paul, to explore that very question.

Paul spent 26 years married to a covert, passive-aggressive narcissist. Like so many survivors, he spent much of that time questioning himself, taking the blame, and desperately trying to “fix” what was never his to fix. Therapy sessions left him labeled as the problem. Friends and family pulled away. Isolation, self-doubt, and destructive patterns became his daily reality. And yet, deep inside, he knew something wasn’t right.

When Paul stumbled across the term DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender), everything began to click. Suddenly, the chaos wasn’t random — it was a predictable system of manipulation. For the first time, he had language for what he had endured. And once he saw it, he could never unsee it.

In this conversation, Paul bravely shares how he moved from denial to awareness, from isolation to community, and from doubt to a new, unshakable trust in himself. We talk about:

• How trauma bonds and survival mode kept him stuck for decades
• The moment he realized he deserved more than breadcrumbs of love
• Why DARVO is one of the most insidious tactics of narcissistic abuse
• How community support and safe groups became his lifeline
• The inner child work that helped him finally release guilt and shame
• What it means to hold someone accountable without losing yourself
• And the courage it takes to say: I know what it feels like to be loved — and this isn’t it.

Paul’s story is raw, emotional, and incredibly validating for anyone who has ever doubted their reality or felt like they were “the problem.” His vulnerability is a gift to every survivor who listens, and his breakthrough is a reminder that healing isn’t just possible — it’s worth it.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Am I crazy? Is it me?” — this episode will show you that you are not alone, and you are not broken. You are capable of reclaiming your peace, your power, and your truth.

• Learn more about DARVO and how to protect yourself in my DARVO vs. P.E.A.C.E.™ Mini-Course .
• Ready for deeper healing? Join my signature

For 30 years, Marcia Williams lived in silence inside a marriage with a narcissist. In her powerful memoir GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse, she shares the raw truth of that journey and the courageous steps she took to reclaim her peace.

This book is more than a survivor’s story. It’s a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment for anyone trapped in the cycle of narcissistic abuse.

Support the show

Get "GROOMED"

Follow me on Instagram!

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Share your comments with Marcia

In this deeply personal episode of The Healing Lounge, Marcia Williams—licensed therapist, narcissistic abuse recovery coach, and survivor—shares the raw truth of her 30-year marriage to a narcissist. For the first time on the podcast, Marcia steps fully into her own story, joined by her sister for an intimate interview about the journey that inspired her book, GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse.

Marcia opens up about the shame she carried in silence, the heartbreaking reality of reactive abuse, and the fear of telling the truth about her marriage. She reveals the hardest part of writing GROOMED: being brutally honest about her most painful, hidden experiences. Yet through that honesty, she discovered the power of vulnerability and the freedom that comes when we break the silence.

This episode is more than a survivor’s story—it’s a guidepost of hope for anyone who has felt trapped, silenced, or broken by narcissistic abuse. Marcia’s healing journey reminds us that while leaving may feel impossible, peace and freedom are real and attainable. She explains how breaking trauma bonds, reclaiming her voice, and building community were vital steps in moving from surviving to thriving.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The reality of living in a marriage with a narcissist—and why leaving isn’t simple.
• What reactive abuse is, and why survivors often carry misplaced shame for it.
• The courage it takes to tell your story and write about taboo experiences.
• How breaking trauma bonds opens the door to peace and empowerment.
• Why sharing personal stories helps survivors everywhere feel less alone.
• How Marcia now uses her journey to help others reclaim their identity and freedom.

If you’ve ever felt isolated in your pain, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone—and that healing is possible.

Marcia now walks alongside survivors through one-on-one coaching, group programs, and her Passage to Peace community.

Keywords: narcissistic abuse, healing journey, empowerment, Marcia Williams, GROOMED, trauma bonds, reactive abuse, survivor story

For 30 years, Marcia Williams lived in silence inside a marriage with a narcissist. In her powerful memoir GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse, she shares the raw truth of that journey and the courageous steps she took to reclaim her peace.

This book is more than a survivor’s story. It’s a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment for anyone trapped in the cycle of narcissistic abuse.

Support the show

Get "GROOMED"

Follow me on Instagram!

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Subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

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Share your comments with Marcia

Have you ever heard the question, “If it’s so bad, why don’t you just leave?”

In this episode of The Healing Lounge, Marcia Williams—licensed therapist, author, and survivor of a 30-year marriage to a narcissist—breaks down why leaving isn’t that simple. From trauma bonds and finances to faith, shame, and children, Marcia unpacks the very real barriers that keep survivors stuck and the shame that follows them.

You’ll learn why staying doesn’t make you weak—it makes you human. And you’ll leave with tools, affirmations, and a powerful reframe to remind you: you’re not failing, you’re surviving.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The truth behind the “why don’t you just leave?” question
• The five most common reasons survivors stay (and why they make sense)
• How trauma bonds trap the brain and body
• The difference between weakness and survival
• A journal prompt + affirmation to start reclaiming your power

Resources & Next Steps:

• Learn more at thepassagetopeace.com
• Get support through one-on-one coaching, groups, and our survivor community
• Follow Marcia on social media for daily encouragement (links in show notes)
• Join her live every Monday night at 7 PM EST on all social media platforms for real-time coaching and conversation

Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode!

Oh, wait.... Dont' forget your FREE COMPANION GUIDE!

For 30 years, Marcia Williams lived in silence inside a marriage with a narcissist. In her powerful memoir GROOMED: Life Married to a Narcissist and How I Overcame Narcissistic Abuse, she shares the raw truth of that journey and the courageous steps she took to reclaim her peace.

This book is more than a survivor’s story. It’s a message of hope, resilience, and empowerment for anyone trapped in the cycle of narcissistic abuse.

Support the show

Get "GROOMED"

Follow me on Instagram!

Follow me on Tiktok!

Subscribe to my Youtube Channel!

Join my FaceBook Group!

Follow me on Linkden!

Find me on Psychology Today!

Learn more about our programs and services!

Share your comments with Marcia

In this very first episode of The Healing Lounge, host Marcia Williams opens up about her journey — from surviving a 30-year marriage to a narcissist to becoming a licensed therapist dedicated to helping others heal.

Marcia shares her personal story of pain, awakening, and resilience, and why she created The Healing Lounge as a safe space for survivors to finally exhale. You’ll hear what to expect from this season, from taboo conversations about abuse to practical tools for healing, and why your story matters too.

Reflection Question: What’s one part of your story you’ve never told out loud, but know it’s time to honor?

If this episode speaks to you, don’t forget to subscribe and share it with someone who needs encouragement on their healing journey.

Takeaways

Marcia is a licensed therapist and a survivor of narcissistic abuse.
The podcast aims to share experiences of pain and healing.
Childhood trauma can impact adult relationships.
Recognizing red flags in relationships is crucial.
Compartmentalization can be a coping mechanism in abusive relationships.
Healing is a non-linear process that requires support.
Community and validation are essential in the healing journey.
Marcia's story serves as a beacon of hope for others.
Healing can begin even before leaving an abusive relationship.
The podcast will cover taboo topics related to narcissistic abuse.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to The Healing Lounge Podcast
01:59 Marcia's Journey: Before the Storm
06:36 Inside the Storm: The Relationship Begins
12:48 The Aftermath: Awakening and Realization
17:02 The Healing Journey: Finding Strength and Support
19:50 What to Expect in The Healing Lounge

Support the show

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Learn more about our programs and services!