Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to PTSD, trauma, mental health, other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

For four decades, Margi was trapped in the grasp of narcissistic abuse, a struggle that went unrecognised even by the 17 mental health professionals she consulted. While her life appeared successful on the outside, internally she was living with a deep, unnameable despair.

Everything changed after a chance conversation with a friend who shared her experience of a narcissistic employer. Hearing a story that so closely mirrored her own finally gave Margi the language and understanding she had been searching for. That moment of clarity became the catalyst for a deep exploration into narcissism, which is now the sole focus of her counselling practice.

Today, Margi is dedicated to helping survivors heal from narcissistic relationships. Drawing on both her lived experience and professional expertise, she supports people as they navigate the complex journey of recovery, rebuild their identity and reclaim their lives.

In this episode she shares:

- How narcissistic abuse slowly strips away your identity without you even realising it's happening.

- Why survivors often mistake chaos for love and keep returning to unhealthy relationship patterns.

- The hidden impact of coercive control, gaslighting and the "thousand tiny cuts" that wear people down over time.

- Why leaving a narcissistic relationship is only the beginning of the healing journey.

- The survival behaviours that protect us during abuse but keep us stuck afterwards.

- Her three-stage process for moving from survival mode to rebuilding your identity and confidence.

- Why learning to choose yourself isn't selfish, it's essential for healing.

- What thriving after narcissistic abuse actually looks like, and why a peaceful life is possible.

Key Quotes

"Love and harm do not live in the same place. They don't coexist."

"We just have to find ourselves again because we were removed essentially."

"It's not like computer software that you just update. We have to go and remove those patterns first."

More about Margie

Find out more on the Narcissist Nab website, or follow Margie on Instagram.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to PTSD, trauma, mental health, and other potentially distressing experiences. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

What happens when the title you've carried, the career you've loved, or the version of yourself you've always known is suddenly gone? In this solo episode, I share my own journey of losing my identity after leaving the police and why rebuilding who we are is often one of the hardest, yet most important, parts of healing. If you've ever wondered who you are after trauma, loss or a major life change, I hope this conversation reminds you that your identity isn't fixed, it's something you can continue to shape with courage, compassion and hope.

In this episode I share:

- The hidden grief of losing your identity after trauma or leaving a career.

- Why healing isn't about becoming your old self again.

- The difference between asking "Who was I?" and "Who am I becoming?"

- How trauma, PTSD and life-changing events reshape identity.

- The invisible losses we rarely acknowledge after major life transitions.

- Why your job, title or role is never the sum of your worth.

- How to celebrate the person you're becoming instead of mourning who you were.

- Three practical takeaways for rebuilding identity with self-compassion and purpose.

Key Quotes

"Healing isn't backwards. Healing is forwards."

"Identity isn't something you find, it's something you create in every conscious decision."

"Your identity isn't what happened to you. It isn't the uniform you wore. Your identity is found in the courage and bravery to keep becoming."

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning, this podcast contains discussions relating to This episode includes discussions of trauma, toxic and abusive relationships, narcissistic behaviour, emotional manipulation, infidelity, domestic violence, and relationship healing. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you can call Lifeline on 131114.

Welcome to one of our phoenix episodes where I share a lesson from my personal journey.

For this episode I am joined by the incredible Dee Light. who helped me heal the relationship patterns created by my trauma so I could choose myself instead of repeating unhealthy relationships.

Dee has the gifted knack of seeing the biggest picture, and distilling it into sizable, easy to digest steps. Her capacity to take a dilemma and uncover the way out, is an everyday challenge she sees as part of her role in these dynamic times. There is always a solution, a path forward. Dee has studied and applied many modalities over the last forty years and has distilled them down to her own unique approach that gets results.

Her vast background includes working in a government position with classified clearance, to working in the glossy world of advertising and the unpredictable world of fashion, to teaching accelerated Japanese language to 3,000 staff of a loved airline, to establishing an ultra-natural skincare and perfume company with her husband of 37 years. Her energetic work is highly sought after and effective, helping a cross section of clients find stability, clarity and inspiration in times of great change.

In this episode we share:

· Why no one else can complete you and you have to complete yourself first.

· How unresolved trauma can keep you repeating unhealthy relationship patterns.

· The difference between cherishing someone and possessing them.

· Why healing your relationship with yourself changes the relationships you attract.

· How to recognise the foundations of a conscious, healthy relationship.

· Why choosing yourself is essential after leaving a toxic relationship.

· Practical ways to clear old relationship energy and move forward.

· Simple practices to raise your self-worth and attract healthier relationships.

Key Quotes

"Nobody, nobody is going to complete you. All right? You are going to complete yourself."

"Kindness to self, it's a human quality that's intrinsic to who we are as human beings."

"You cherish somebody, you don't possess them."

More about Dee

Check out the manifesto of light website, the light and co website, follow Dee on Instagram and listen to her podcast.

You can get involved with the podcast online

You can follow us on Instagram.

Find out more via my website.

You can reach out to me via email.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.