No Visible Bruises

Today I’m sharing with you a fantastic conversation with Ross Rosenberg.

Ross Rosenberg M.Ed., LCPC, CADC, is the owner of Self-Love Recovery Institute. He is a psychotherapist, educator, expert witness and author. Ross is known globally for his expertise in codependency (Self-Love Deficit Disorder), Pathological Narcissism, Narcissistic Abuse and Trauma Treatment. He is a keynote speaker who has presented in 30 States/70 cities and abroad and has been regularly featured on national TV and radio. His “The Human Magnet Syndrome” books sold over 120K copies and are translated into 10 languages. His YouTube Channel has amassed 19 million video views and more than 200K subscribers.

In this episode, Ross shared brilliant insights about responsibility, codependency, children moulded by narcissistic parents, and core shame. We talked about his definition of codependency, and how it was a game changer for so many people after finding an explanation that made sense for them.

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

The victim's connection with responsibility and the band-aid therapy

Ross' journey of dealing with narcissists in his life, and how he managed to overcome his challenges

How many types of codependents there are according to Ross, and the difference between them

What is the human magnet syndrome

What is a relationship template, how it is created, and how it works

Ross’s definition of codependency is revolutionary, because it offers a simple explanation of the condition. After we have an answer, we can make a choice to address the problem and neutralize its cause.

Connect with Ross Rosenberg:

Self-Love Recovery Institute https://www.selfloverecovery.com/

Find Ross on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossarosenberg/

Find Ross on Twitter https://twitter.com/rossrosenberg1/

Find Ross on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rossrosenberg_slri/

Visit Ross’s YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/clinicalcareconsult

Resources:

Book: Ross Rosenberg - The Human Magnet Syndrome: The Codependent Narcissist Trap: Surviving Narcissistic Abuse https://www.amazon.com/Human-Magnet-Syndrome-Codependent-Narcissist-ebook/dp/B07D99945P/

Book: Alice Miller - The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self https://www.amazon.com/Drama-Gifted-Child-Search-Third-ebook/dp/B06XCG9MKN/

Join my Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse

Connect with me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/

In our 2nd episode of my rebranded podcast, No Visible Bruises sharing real survivor stories of narcissistic abuse, domestic abuse and coercive control, I sit down with Sandra Dec. I knew this would be a raw yet familiar conversation about narcissistic abuse. But very quickly, her story unfolded into something far more complex, a web of betrayal, cheating, hidden pasts, and shocking truths that could rival any Netflix drama.

What began as love was built on lies- bigamy, secret families, manipulation, and the slow erosion of self-worth. But Sandra’s story is not just about what happened to her. It’s about how she survived... and how she healed.

In this episode, we explore how trauma lives in the body and how reconnecting with physical awareness and grounding practices can help you heal. We unpack the patterns of deception and narcissistic abuse that creep in over time, often rooted in childhood wounds and shaped by familiar dynamics from narcissistic parenting.

We talk about emotional and financial abuse, the invisible kind, the slow self-sacrifice, the erosion of identity, the subtle control that doesn’t leave bruises. We go deep into the confusing experience of reactive abuse and self-blame, where victims are left doubting themselves more than their abuser.

And we explore why leaving isn’t as simple as walking away and how survival responses, fear, physiology, and a longing for love can keep people stuck in places they know are breaking them.

But this is also a story of rising. Of breaking generational cycles. Of embracing the shadow self and finding safety in truth, self-love, and the courage to reclaim identity.

This episode is for anyone who has ever doubted their reality. Who’s ever stayed too long. Who has ever been cheated on. Who’s learning to trust themselves again.

Sandra’s story will stay with you, not just because of the twists and turns, but because of her strength, her honesty, and the light she now shines for others.

So take a deep breath, and press play. This one is powerful.

Don’t ever be alone in your journey and make sure you come and join my private Facebook community, No Visible Bruises where you can connect with other survivors of narcissistic abuse, domestic abuse and coercive control

https://www.facebook.com/groups/novisiblebruises

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions shared in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and are intended for informational and educational purposes only. They do not substitute professional or medical advice. If you’ve been affected by anything discussed in today’s episode, please consider reaching out to a qualified healthcare provider or mental health professional for support. You’re not alone, and help is always available.

It is estimated that over 20% of a country's population is suffering from chronic pain, and often the root cause of the pain is unknown. However, for those suffering from emotional trauma, such as being in an abusive relationship with a narcissist, chronic pain can be a symptom of that emotional trauma.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why your chronic physical pain could be caused by emotional trauma
• How your body reacts to traumatic situations and what issues that can cause
• The methods to solving chronic pain by analysing your inner emotional wounds

In this episode, I’m going to discuss how our body deals with narcissistic abuse and why your emotional pain can often manifest itself as physical pain. The knowledge of how your brain, nervous system and body react to emotional trauma can be the key to being able to solve chronic pain, so I hope this episode can help you understand why you may be feeling the way you do.

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

In today’s episode, I hear Aneela Mehkri’s story of how she knew that something was always wrong with her mum, but she didn’t know it was Narcissism until she was 30. We’ll learn how a household of dysfunction, arguments, and fights led to Aneela discovering what narcissism is and how it impacted her life emotionally, mentally, and physically.

What you will learn in this episode:

• What Enmeshment is and how it plays a role in Aneela’s life.
• How to learn to trust your feelings and listen to your body.
• Why abuse is abuse. Just because they’re family, it doesn’t excuse abuse.

Aneela discusses how her mother and the culture in Pakistan caused her to have insecurity growing up by teaching her to not discuss what was happening inside her household with other families and friends. We’ll then learn how Aneela got on the pathway to recovery from her mother's narcissism and the wounds it caused, and how she is now helping others heal from narcissistic abuse with her work as a Humanistic Integrative Therapist.

Connect with Aneela:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aneelamehkri/?hl=en

Resources:

• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/

Noshiela Maqsood is a mum of 5 children. She is a 3× best selling author, Master Coach, and NLP Trainer. She empowers Muslim women to heal their inner wounds and become generational change-makers. Escaping a prison sentence taught her about her self-worth, boundaries, and how much she needed to make her mental and emotional well-being a priority. She quit being a people pleaser and started saying yes to herself! After her own healing journey, overcoming depression and anxiety, she committed herself to helping women find the light within themselves. She has helped women around the world heal their inner wounds and has helped many start their own coaching businesses. She is determined to spread her message of empowering women far and wide.

A glimpse into what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why many Muslim women are struggling with trauma
• What rejection wounds are
• How to find self-acceptance

Noshiela is in my high-performance healing mastermind and her mission is so powerful that I knew I had to have her on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss how Muslim women are treated in their culture and how it leads to many women having trauma, and what Noshiela is doing to change this. We’ll learn about Noshiela’s upbringing and how it influences her life today and how the Muslim family environment influenced Noshiela’s view on the world and on her own healing. We’ll also discuss how our own self-talk can determine our own beliefs and how to get out of a negative mindset and into a recovery and healing mindset.

Connect with Noshiela:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noshiela
• Noshiela’s Coaching: https://www.noshielanoorcoaching.co.uk
• She Empowers Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09PV6C4LK
• Free Facebook Group: "The Empowered Muslimah; Heal from Emotional Trauma to Thrive With Purpose" https://www.facebook.com/groups/1029110910583276/?ref=share

Resources:

• Become an Accredited Narcissistic Trauma Informed Coach: https://go.carolinestrawson.com/NTICC3
• Join my FREE Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/thriveafternarcissisticabuse
• Access my low-cost Narcissistic Trauma Recovery Programme https://go.carolinestrawson.com/heal-the-trauma-of-narcissistic-abuse
• Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinestrawson/
• Find me on TikTok!: https://www.tiktok.com/@carolinestrawson
• My website: https://www.carolinestrawson.com/