Narcissistic Abuse: A Therapist?s Guide to Identifying, Escaping, and Healing from Toxic and Manipulative People

Licensed therapist and narcissism expert Vanessa M. Reiser offers a guide to identifying narcissistic abuse, especially in interpersonal relationships, sharing practical strategies for healing.

Gaslighting. Love bombing. Hoovering. Triangulating. These are all insidious weapons in the narcissist’s toolkit. Narcissism can be hard to diagnose, but it is one of the hallmarks of abusive relationships. As a therapist specializing in narcissism and domestic abuse, Vanessa M. Reiser has strategies to help victims to identify, understand, and heal from abusive relationships. With a blend of information, education, and stories, Reiser defines what narcissistic abuse is, breaks down how it’s a form of domestic violence and how narcissists think and operate, uncovering their mindset and motivations, so readers can spot a narcissist more accurately, avoid toxic relationships, escape dangerous situations, and heal from mental, emotional and/or physical trauma. Readers will learn how to:

• Identify dangerous behaviors and warning signs of narcissistic abuse
• Create an exit strategy to safely escape from an abuser
• Heal from the psychological damage and trauma.

Explaining narcissistic personality disorder, clarifying common misconceptions about narcissism, and detailing how narcissism works on a spectrum of benign to malignant, Narcissistic Abuse gives readers a clear picture of what narcissistic abuse entails, using specific situations and examples to show how narcissistic traits translate into real-life behaviors. Reiser describes the five stages of narcissistic abuse (luring, love bombing, mask slipping, discarding, and the smear campaign) and lists common stages and emotions that come after the relationship with a narcissist has been severed (including devastation, confusion, sadness, anger, understanding, and healing). With practical tools and a warm, empathetic tone, Narcissistic Abuse provides a clear path for readers to break the cycle and find a path back to themselves.

Vanessa M. Reiser is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW), licensed in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida. She is a psychotherapist and the founder of Tell a Therapist, LLC as well as the founder of the nonprofit, Tell a Therapist, INC. Vanessa holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Empire State college and a Master of Social Work (MSM) from the University of Southern California. Vanessa specializes in narcissistic personality disorder, and her practice focuses on treating victims and survivors of cults, narcissists, domestic violence, and narcissistic abuse. Her insights are both personal and professional, giving her a unique lens into this insidious form of domestic abuse. Vanessa is a long-distance runner and two-time Ironman who is best known for running the state of New York (285 miles in 11 days) in a wedding dress to raise awareness for narcissistic abuse.