After being emotionally shattered by severe abandonment I was very confused, beaten down, tearful, overwhelmed, struggling to function and I felt thrown away like a piece of trash. The confusing thing is that I had a cluster of symptoms that seemed strange and unique to me. I felt like a freak. Why did I have […]
Mark Smith, LCSW
In the Eye of the Tiger: Healing Abandonment Trauma
I have an awful, tragic story to share with you about the gale force destructive power of abandonment trauma otherwise known as narcissistic abuse syndrome. The unique gift that I have to offer you is a step-by-step, blow-by-blow accounting of my severe trauma wounding and more importantly, the redemptive, intimate, step-by-step process that I have […]
Startling Insights Into The Healing Powers Of Marriage
I have been writing about marital issues since I put my first brochure together back in 1989. Many of my marital articles have the very same theme. I’m sort of a one note chump. I only know one thing and I only have one skill. The skill I have is that, if need be, I […]
A Punch In The Mouth From a Friend: Bracing Manly Truths For And About Men
Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy. -Proverbs 27:6 In football, when an offensive lineman says, “We’ve got to come out and punch ‘em in the mouth,” he means his team aspires to aggressively control the line of scrimmage. (They’d be kicked out of the game if […]
Healing Toxic Shame Through Recovery
HERE ARE SOME UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS PRACTICAL AND HELPFUL BOOK… 1. A raw, intimate, insightful study of 12 clients suffering from brutal shame issues 2. Shame issues are clearly defined and many powerful clinical examples are used to describe typical self critical and defensive behaviors 3. A difficult and gut wrenching discussion of the […]
The Secret To Healing Your Marriage After An Affair
The Pain Of An affair Is Beyond Overwhelming “Affairs are just as disillusioning as marriage, and much less restful.” ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic’s Notebook, 1966 Nothing has ever hurt nearly as badly as this! It’s like a nightmare you feel like you’ll never wake up from. This person–this person who you thought you knew, […]
The BASICS For A Healthy Life And Marriage
Life and Marriage are really hard. Previously trustworthy spouses have cruel and deeply hurtful affairs. Many husbands can be critical, controlling, workaholic, arrogant, know-it-all and insensitive and yet they are shocked and hurt when their wives no longer fell like having sex with them any longer. Couples lack the skills to truly talk through and […]
Managing Abandonment Issues Through Recovery
Abandonment issues are wicked, brutal, explosive, crippling, damaging, and standing ever-ready to completely ruin countless otherwise happy and peaceful moments or events. They’re a raging bull in a fragile emotional china shop. They’re an irritating bee buzzing around your head, waiting to sting. They’re a terrifying fire-breathing fire-breathing dragon directing all of his or her […]
The Alchemist: Transforming Narcissistic Abuse Into Gold
Alchemy – “An ancient form of chemistry concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold; a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination; finding a universal solvent or an elixir of life” – Merriam-Webster Dictionary “The art of alchemy is simply changing one form into another. Anything that causes a change […]
CAN THIS MARRIAGE BE SAVED?
It seems as if I have heard that question a million times, as I sat across from desperate couples during their initial session. The prospect of divorce is terrifying for most people. However, there seems to come a point where one’s unhappiness becomes weightier than even the fear of divorce. That is the point at […]