Will I ever be good enough? If you’re married to a narcissist, chances are you’ve struggled with this question. But the truth is, it’s impossible to please a narcissist, and you may need to leave the relationship. So, what can you do to prepare for the divorce process? Is there any way to avoid a high-conflict divorce? How can you protect your children and offer them the empathy they can’t get from a narcissistic parent?
Dr. Karyl McBride is a marriage and family therapist with 30-plus years of experience in public and private practice. An expert in the realm of narcissism and trauma recovery, Dr. McBride is a regular contributor at Psychology Today and the author of Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers and Will I Ever Be Free of You? How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family.
On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Dr. McBride joins Katherine to discuss narcissism, describing the narcissist’s characteristic lack of empathy and need to win and explaining why they nearly always have high-conflict divorces. She speaks to the way children of narcissists are used as pawns in the divorce process and explores how to counter narcissism by parenting with empathy. Listen in for Dr. McBride’s insight around preparing to divorce a narcissist and learn how to recover from a difficult relationship with a narcissistic parent or spouse.
The lack of empathy that is characteristic of a narcissist
How narcissists use charm to manipulate in the dating phase
Why narcissists nearly always have high-conflict divorces
How victims of narcissists present in the divorce process
How children of narcissists are used as pawns in divorce
When older kids start to recognize narcissism in a parent
How the other parent can counter narcissism with empathy
Giving children a voice by way of reintegration therapy
Why children of narcissists suffer from crippling self-doubt
What happens when families with a narcissist stay together
Dr. McBride’s advice for preparing to divorce a narcissist
The Center for Understanding Conflict
The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller
Email katherine@westchesterfamilylaw.com
Call (914) 738-7765
Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers by Dr. Karyl McBride