Marriage Rehab: Exposing Narcissistic & Emotional Abuse

About Marriage Rehab: Exposing Narcissistic & Emotional Abuse

Are you struggling with a toxic or emotionally abusive relationship? Best-selling author and clinical psychologist Dr. David Hawkins explores the complex dynamics of narcissism, emotional abuse, trauma, and toxic relationship patterns. Each episode provides insight and practical tools to help you find clarity, healing, and hope. Dr. Hawkins tackles the issues many couples face but rarely find effective help for, including narcissistic abuse, spiritual and financial abuse, secondary abuse in the church, sex addiction, divorce, and separation. Whether you’re trying to rebuild your relationship or recover from emotional harm, this podcast offers professional guidance and encouragement for your journey to healthier connections.

Publisher

Marriage Recovery Center / Dr. David B. Hawkins

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

2 Aug 2022

Latest episode

28 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

78 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   28 Sept 2026

   What Positions a Client for Success

   You'd never blame your nutritionist for a diet you didn't follow—so why do we blame our coach the same way? What actually predicts lasting change—intention, or follow-through? On this episode of Marriage Rehab, host Dr. David Hawkins talks with Lee Kaufman, a coach at the Marriage Recovery Center with 25 years' experience, about what truly positions clients for success. Kaufman unpacks his "amplitude of intention" framework and answers the question every client asks: what's your success rate? "I'm a hundred percent successful with the people that work really hard," he says. For spouses exhausted by narcissistic patterns or stalled healing, this conversation offers clarity, structure, and real hope. Lee Kaufman is a Life & Relationship Coach at the Marriage Recovery Center, where he has been helping people help themselves for over 25 years. Early in his career, he spent over a decade in the financial and legal industries, giving him unique insight into how business, finances, and family are inextricably connected. Having worked with high performers, industry leaders, and global influencers, Kaufman brings deep expertise in effective communication, healthy boundaries, emotional understanding, empathy, personal responsibility, anger management, and health coaching to help clients become their best selves. In This Episode: (00:00) Lee Kaufman returns to talk positioning for success (05:47) The asymptote metaphor for lifelong growth work (09:58) Amplitude of intention meets repetition (16:02) What MRC's real success rate looks like (20:57) Therapeutic listening vs. skill-building coaching (26:17) Honesty, intention, and never-easier change Share with someone who would benefit Like and subscribe to hear all of our future episodes! About the Show Marriage Rehab is hosted by Dr. David B. Hawkins, Director of the Marriage Recovery Center and the Emotional Abuse Institute. Each episode cuts through the noise of pop psychology and social media labels to give listeners something rarer: clarity. The show is built for people who suspect something is deeply wrong in their marriage but can't quite name it — and for the professionals who support them. With a focus on emotional abuse, narcissistic patterns, and the often-invisible dynamics of control and entitlement, Dr. Hawkins brings in leading clinicians, researchers, and authors to help listeners understand what's actually happening in their relationships — and what, if anything, can be done about it. The Marriage Recovery Center offers comprehensive assessments, specialized counseling, and structured programs for both partners. Resources: Marriage Recovery Center — https://marriagerecoverycenter.com/ (https://marriagerecoverycenter.com/) Lee Kaufman (bio, MRC) — https://marriagerecoverycenter.com/meet-lee-kaufman/ (https://marriagerecoverycenter.com/meet-lee-kaufman/) Marriage Recovery Center 🌐 marriagerecoverycenter.com (http://marriagerecoverycenter.com) Phone: 206-219-0145

2. 

   14 Sept 2026

   Beyond Communication Problems: Assessing Your Relationship | Dr. John Hudson

   Many couples enter counseling believing their biggest problem is communication. But what if communication problems are only a symptom of something deeper? In this episode of Marriage Rehab, Dr. David Hawkins and Dr. John Hudson explain why communication tools alone cannot repair a relationship affected by emotional immaturity, power and control, chronic invalidation, blame shifting, manipulation, or emotional abuse. Before a couple can create meaningful change, they must first understand what is actually happening beneath the conflict. Dr. Hawkins and Dr. Hudson also introduce the Relationship Dynamics Assessment, or RDA, a structured assessment designed to evaluate the underlying health of a relationship and provide greater clarity about what needs to change. In this episode, you will learn: • Why communication skills sometimes create only temporary improvement • How emotional immaturity can undermine an entire relationship • Why “it takes two to tango” does not always reflect the reality of a destructive marriage • Warning signs that your relationship problems go beyond communication • How emotional safety, accountability, empathy, autonomy, and willingness to change affect relational health • Why a thorough relationship assessment should come before a treatment plan • How the Relationship Dynamics Assessment can help identify unhealthy patterns and next steps If you have tried counseling or communication techniques but continue finding yourselves trapped in the same painful cycle, the problem may be more complex than how you talk to each other. Understanding the deeper relationship dynamics can provide the clarity needed to begin pursuing real and lasting change. To learn more about the Relationship Dynamics Assessment or working with the Marriage Recovery Center, call our Client Care Team at 206-219-0145 or visit MarriageRecoveryCenter.com (http://MarriageRecoveryCenter.com). If this episode was helpful, follow Marriage Rehab and leave us a five-star review so you will be notified when new episodes are released.

3. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Why Your Partner Shuts Down: Emotional Immaturity and Childhood Wounds | Dr. Lindsay Gibson

   Why does your partner shut down, become defensive, or seem unable to engage emotionally when conflict arises? In this episode of Marriage Rehab, Dr. David Hawkins sits down with Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson, clinical psychologist and bestselling author of Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents. Together, they explore how emotionally immature parenting can shape a person’s ability to manage emotions, tolerate distress, practice empathy, and build emotional intimacy later in life. Dr. Gibson explains why an accomplished adult may still respond like an overwhelmed child during relationship conflict. She and Dr. Hawkins discuss the childhood wounds behind emotional shutdown, defensiveness, blame, avoidance, and emotional reactivity, as well as why repeatedly explaining the problem often fails to create meaningful change. Most importantly, this conversation offers hope. Emotional maturity is not something a person either has or does not have. With willingness, self-reflection, psychoeducation, accountability, and practice, healthier ways of responding can be learned. In this episode, you’ll learn: What emotional maturity looks like in an adult relationship Why emotionally immature partners shut down, blow up, deflect, or withdraw How childhood experiences affect emotional intimacy in marriage Why professional or personal success does not always translate into relational maturity What Dr. Gibson means by “projecting health” onto a partner Why people struggle to self-reflect when they feel threatened or under fire How distress tolerance, empathy, and emotional regulation can be developed Why understanding the roots of a behavior does not remove the need for accountability What creates the possibility for genuine, lasting change Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents and the new book How to Raise an Emotionally Mature Child: Your Blueprint to a Lifetime of Happiness and Success for Your Child. Learn more about Dr. Gibson and her work at LindsayCGibson.com (http://LindsayCGibson.com). Founded by Dr. David Hawkins, the Marriage Recovery Center specializes in helping individuals and couples address narcissistic and emotional abuse, destructive relationship patterns, and relationships in crisis. To speak with our Client Care Team, call 206-219-0145 or visit MarriageRecoveryCenter.com (http://MarriageRecoveryCenter.com). If this episode was helpful, please follow Marriage Rehab and leave us a five-star review. Your support helps more people find honest, practical conversations about emotional abuse, relationship healing, and lasting change. Please note that Marriage Rehab welcomes guests with diverse viewpoints. Their beliefs do not necessarily reflect every aspect of the Marriage Recovery Center’s approach, but we value thoughtful dialogue and the opportunity to explore important relationship topics.

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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