The Covert Narcissism Podcast

Episoade

• Covert Narcissism and Chronic Illness: Setting Boundaries When Someone's Pain Is Real 04.06.2026 26min
• Covert Narcissism: Why Your Fight/Flight Response Turned into Fawning 31.05.2026 22min

  Covert narcissistic abuse rewires you. Learn why your fight/flight response turned into fawning — and why it's not your fault.
• Narcissistic Abuse Through the Lens of Taylor Swift's Dear John 28.05.2026 32min

  Covert narcissistic abuse is hard to see from the inside — but Taylor Swift's "Dear John" captures it with devastating precision. Join Renee Swanson as she breaks down the manipulation, gaslighting, and emotional depletion line by line.
• Covert Narcissist’s Emotional Dysregulation: How It Affects Your Marriage and Your Kids 24.05.2026 19min

  Covert narcissist emotional dysregulation doesn’t just damage your marriage — it reshapes your entire family. In this episode, we break down how narcissistic abuse affects you as a spouse, why walking on eggshells has become your baseline, why your mind never stops running even when your body is exhausted, and what children of narcissists quietly learn to do just to survive. If you’ve been living this and can’t explain why you’re so depleted — this episode will finally give you the words.
• I Thought I Was Losing Him: Hope for Parents Raising Kids Through Narcissistic Abuse" 24.05.2026 24min

  If you are parenting through a narcissistic relationship and wondering if any of it is getting through — this episode is for you. I am sharing the hardest lessons I have learned, two conversations with my son that stopped me in my tracks, and what I know about hope and healing from the other side.
• Stop Shrinking Yourself: Real Women on Losing Their Identity to Covert Narcissistic Abuse and Getting It Back 21.05.2026 55min

  Three survivors of covert narcissistic relationships open up about losing themselves, hitting their breaking point, and what reclaiming their identity has actually looked like — and their words might just be the thing someone needs to hear today in this CNG Community Chat.
• Top 10 Signs You're With a Covert Narcissist | Narcissistic Abuse & Relationship Patterns 17.05.2026 25min

  Are you in a relationship that feels wrong but you can't quite explain why? You may be experiencing covert narcissistic abuse. In this episode, Renee Swanson breaks down the Top 10 Signs You're With a Covert Narcissist — from gaslighting and the silent treatment to trauma bonding and the slow erosion of your sense of self. If you've been walking on eggshells, questioning your own reality, or feeling invisible in your relationship, this episode will help you finally name what you've been experiencing. You are not too sensitive. You are not crazy. And you are not alone.
• The Cult of Two: How Covert Narcissists Use Mind Control in Relationships with Rachel Bernstein LMFT 14.05.2026 50min

  What if you didn't escape a bad relationship, you escaped a cult? This week, cult specialist Rachel Bernstein joins Renee to reveal the chilling ways covert narcissists use the same mind control tactics as cult leaders.
• What If They Aren't a Covert Narcissist — Now What 10.05.2026 27min

  What if they aren't actually a covert narcissist? What if you're wrong — and you walk away from someone who genuinely loves you? If that question has been keeping you stuck, this episode is for you. Today we talk about why self-doubt is not a character flaw — it is one of the deepest wounds of covert narcissistic abuse. We walk through the four questions to ask yourself when you can't find clarity, why you do not need a diagnosis to deserve better, and the most important reframe of all: what if you're not wrong — you're just afraid you are?
• Why You Can’t Move On After Covert Narcissistic Abuse | Betrayal Trauma Explained with Dr. Debi Silber 07.05.2026 42min

  Why can’t you move on after covert narcissistic abuse? In this episode, Renee Swanson sits down with betrayal trauma expert Dr. Debi Silber to explore how betrayal impacts the nervous system, sense of self, trust, and healing process. Learn why betrayal trauma lingers, the signs of Post Betrayal Syndrome, and the five stages of recovery after emotional abuse and covert narcissistic relationships.
• Why You Can't Stop Thinking About Your Narcissist: What Your Rumination Is Really Chasing 03.05.2026 32min

  Can't stop thinking about your narcissist? You're not weak, obsessed, or broken — your mind is chasing something deeper than you realize. In this episode, Renee Swanson breaks down exactly why rumination after narcissistic abuse is so relentless, what your thought loops are really looking for, and how to begin breaking free. Includes two practical tools you can use today.
• Recognizing Covert Narcissistic Abuse After 17 Years of Marriage: Community Chat 30.04.2026 36min

  When something felt deeply wrong in his marriage but he couldn't find the words, David spent 17 years living with covert narcissistic abuse before finally being able to name it. In this CNG Community Chat, he opens up about the moment it all clicked, what happened when he first said it out loud, and how he is now navigating healing and co-parenting after divorce from a covert narcissist.
• They Never Cheated, But You Still Feel Worthless: The Self-Righteous Narcissist Explained 26.04.2026 32min

  They never cheated. They never raged. Everyone thought they were wonderful. So why did you always feel like the problem? In this episode, Renee explains the self-righteous narcissist, the type who weaponizes their own morality to control, judge, and diminish you while looking like a saint to the outside world. Learn how to recognize it, why it's so hard to see, and how healing begins. Visit covertnarcissism.com
• The Rewriting of Reality: How Covert Narcissists Distort the Truth and Make You Doubt Yourself 23.04.2026 26min

  If you’ve ever felt like your reality was slowly being rewritten—and somehow you ended up doubting yourself—this episode explains why. Learn how covert narcissists distort the truth and how to begin trusting your own experience again.
• Your Body Knew Before You Did: Learning to Trust Yourself After Covert Narcissistic Abuse 19.04.2026 27min

  Your body often knew something was wrong long before your mind could explain it. In this episode, we explore how covert narcissistic abuse disconnects you from your body—and how to start rebuilding trust with yourself again.
• The Moment Something Finally Clicked: Seeing Covert Narcissistic Abuse Clearly 16.04.2026 32min

  The moment something finally clicks can feel both relieving and overwhelming. In this Community Chat, we explore what it’s like to begin seeing covert narcissistic abuse clearly after years of confusion and self-doubt.
• Healthy Boundaries After Trauma: Why You Lost Yourself in Covert Narcissistic Dynamics (Barb Nangle Part 2) 15.04.2026 40min

  If you’ve ever felt like you lost yourself trying to keep the peace, this episode will help you understand why. In part two of this special series from *Shit That Goes On in Our Heads*, we explore how trauma keeps you stuck in survival mode—and how building healthy boundaries is the first step back to yourself.
• Cognitive Dissonance and Covert Narcissistic Abuse: Why You Couldn't See It Sooner 12.04.2026 21min

  Why didn’t you see it sooner? In this episode, we explore how cognitive dissonance in covert narcissistic abuse causes a disconnect between what your body feels and what your mind believes—and why your nervous system often knows the truth long before your mind can explain it.
• The Moment Connection Turns Into Correction: Covert Narcissism in Conversations 09.04.2026 22min

  Why do conversations with a covert narcissist leave you feeling wrong, even when you know what you meant? In this episode, we explore the shift from connection to correction—and how this subtle pattern can quietly erode your confidence and sense of self.
• Codependency, Trauma, and Why Boundaries Change Everything: Barb Nangle (Part 1) 07.04.2026 45min

  If you struggle with codependency, boundaries, or feeling stuck in a one-sided relationship, this conversation will help you understand why—and what’s keeping you in the cycle.