Waking Up to Narcissism

Dec 03 2024 127 ep. 47 mins 171

Waking Up to Narcissism Podcast artwork

"Waking Up to Narcissism" is a podcast hosted by Tony Overbay, LMFT, host of the award-winning Virtual Couch podcast, dedicated to helping individuals recognize and navigate narcissistic traits and tendencies in their relationships and within themselves. With a focus on emotional immaturity versus narcissism, Tony provides tools and guidance for personal growth and managing relationships with narcissistic or emotionally immature individuals, even if that individual is you!

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UPDATED Death By a Thousand Cuts Ocho (8) - Healing, Growing, and Thriving Through Emotional Wounds

Dec 03 2024 58 mins

Tony Overbay, LMFT, explores how seemingly minor slights and manipulations in relationships can accumulate to cause significant emotional harm. Welcome to the 8th installment of Waking Up to Narcissism’s “Death by 1,000 Cuts” series. In this episode, Tony delves deep into the subtle yet severe world of emotional abuse. Whether you're dealing with a narcissistic partner, emoti

Your Pain, Their Power: How Narcissists Feed on Relationships

Nov 21 2024 51 mins

Ever wonder why a narcissist seems to feed off your emotional pain? Do you find yourself constantly trying to prove your worth in relationships while the other person maintains the upper hand? Tony Overbay, LMFT, discusses the complexities of narcissistic relationships and emotional immaturity. Tony explores concepts like the false self, the one-up, one-down dynamic, and antagonist

What Do You Stand For? From People-Pleasing to Self-Discovery: A Journey of Character and Integrity

Nov 05 2024 74 mins

Are you truly living in alignment with your values, or do the expectations of others shape you? How do you begin to define your own character when emotional immaturity and narcissism are at play in your relationships? In this episode, we dive deep into what it means to build a sense of character and integrity—especially for those who may have spent years putting others’ needs a

Navigating Societal Expectations, Faith Crisis and Personal Growth - the Allegory “Off the Beaten Path”

Oct 23 2024 35 mins

Tony Overbay, LMFT explores themes of faith journeys, parental expectations, communication, differentiation, and self-discovery through an allegorical story titled 'Off the Beaten Path: Finding Love and Self in a World of Conformity.' The narrative follows a young man named Ansel, who grapples with societal expectations, familial pressures, and his journey toward self-acceptance. T

When Advice Goes Wrong: The Impact of Inaccurate Guidance in Narcissistic Relationship

Oct 14 2024 49 mins

Tony Overbay, LMFT, discusses the potentially harmful effects of an article titled “What Is Disarming A Narcissist? 12 Simple Ways To Do So” (https://tinyurl.com/2u8d7sjb (https://tinyurl.com/2u8d7sjb)) that oversimplifies interactions with narcissists. He distinguishes between Narcissistic Personality Disorder and the broader spectrum of emotional immaturity, emphasizing the s

Understanding the "Attack Surface" in Narcissistic /Emotionally Immature Relationships (When Vulnerability Goes Bad!)

Oct 01 2024 52 mins

Have you ever opened up to someone, only to have your vulnerability used against you? In this episode of Waking Up to Narcissism, we introduce the concept of the “attack surface”—that uncomfortable dynamic where emotionally immature or narcissistic partners turn your honesty into their weapon of control. We’ll also explore how this need for control originates from emotional

How Much Gaslighting Does a Gaslighter Gaslight if a Gaslighter Doesn’t Know They Gaslight? - Part 2

Sep 21 2024 49 mins

Have you ever felt like you're losing your grip on reality in a relationship? Does your partner's behavior leave you constantly second-guessing yourself? You might be experiencing gaslighting, a form of emotional manipulation that can shake the very foundations of your self-perception. In part 2 of “Gaslighting’s Greatest Hits: The Top Lies You Believed About Yourself”, we di

Pathological Kindness: When Caring, Trying, and Empathizing Too Much Can Be Bad For Your Health

Sep 11 2024 49 mins

Do you find yourself constantly putting others' needs before your own? Have you ever wondered if being "too kind" could actually be harmful to your relationships and well-being? In today’s crossover episode - Tony Overbay, a licensed marriage and family therapist, explores the complex concept of pathological kindness in relationships. Through a listener's letter from 'Cleo,' Tony

Emotional Survival Tips: Responding to Crisis in Narcissistic Relationships

Sep 03 2024 41 mins

Tony Overbay, LMFT, delivers an emergency bonus episode addressing a heartfelt listener email. The episode discusses cognitive dissonance, gaslighting, emotional abuse, scapegoating, and trauma bonding often experienced in relationships with narcissists. Tony breaks down the listener's experiences, offering insight into their struggles, including emotional manipulations and prolong

Gaslighting's Greatest Hits: The Top Lies You Believed About Yourself

Aug 21 2024 50 mins

Have you ever felt like you were constantly walking on eggshells, desperately trying to prove your worth in a relationship, only to realize later you were never the problem to begin with? ...