Couples Counseling With a Narcissist

| Is there any Value in Going to Counseling with a Narcissist? | Tina and I had visited my therapist together to figure out our best course to move forward on relationship counseling. At the time, Tina appeared committed to repairing the critically damaged trust between us. Jeff, my therapist had asked her about why she had lied to me

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The shared fantasy at the heart of narcissistic abuse

The Shared Fantasy at the Heart of Narcissistic Abuse

| Getting at the Heart of Narcissistic Abuse | Escaping an abusive relationship with a narcissist requires some degree of understanding. Physically removing oneself from the situation is an important first step, but the trauma bond will keep a victim psychologically and emotionally trapped in the relationship until he or she understands what actually happened and why. A painful first

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Exchanging wedding rings

Promises, Promises

I was married for 17 years to a woman I’d been in a relationship with since I was about 19 years old. Before meeting Tina, it was the only long-term relationship I’d been in. I’d dated a couple girls and had one other short-term girlfriend – nothing of any consequence. Growing up, my parents were in a perpetual on-again-off-again cycle

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The End of Everything

The Total Destruction of Life, the Universe and Everything

| August 2018 | The Grand Finale Narcissistic Discard | The Irish Fair in St. Paul was an event I looked forward to annually. It was taking place on Harriet Island the weekend that Tina and I had our first and last session of couples’ counseling. I was planning to take Tina to it, but she was staying at her

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Wedding Barn

One Wedding Accomplished, one Averted

| Ghosting, Secondary Supply and Deception by a Narcissist | It was morning the 4th of July and according to what I’d been told, Tina and Nate should have been getting on their way from Amber’s house to the wedding. That wasn’t exactly what was happening, but it’s what I was meant to believe. In truth, Tina had spent the

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Narcissists are takers

The Narcissist’s Theft by Swindle

| Narcissists are Takers who Extract more than Supply | June 2018 | When it became clear that keeping my mom’s house wasn’t a viable option, Tina tried steering me away from using a realtor to sell the house. She said her parents had sold their old house in Eagan themselves and saved considerably on commissions. At first, Tina was

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Disappearing Act - Ghosting

Out, in Puffs of Smoke

| The Devastating Effects of Ghosting, Silent Treatment, My Narcissist Fiance’s Disappearing Act | July 9th through 20th, 2016 | Ghosting, the act of abruptly disappearing from someone’s life without explanation can be painful even after a first date, but after months or years in a relationship it can be completely devastating. The psychological wound opened defies closure and festers

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