12. When Your ‘Own Mother Couldn't Love You’: Healing from Narcissistic Abuse (AMA)

In this AMA episode of Mother Mayhem, we tackle the thing you all likely came to this show wondering: If my own mother couldn’t love me, how do I learn to love myself?  Join me, Heather Gray, a licensed therapist and narcissistic abuse recovery expert, as I guide a listener through the process of rewriting her narrative and finding healing after experiencing the aftermath of maternal child abuse and neglect. I’m highlighting key steps and strategies designed to guide you through the steps of reclaiming your self-worth and embracing a new narrative: Giving Yourself Permission: Learn how to rewrite the questions and narrative surrounding your self-worth, allowing yourself to be mothered by someone other than your mom, including yourself. Changing Your Relationship with Your Body: Discover the importance of shifting the language you use about your body and considering it from a place of empowerment and self-love. Nurturing Your Feelings: Explore the significance of naming and acknowledging your feelings without blaming or shaming yourself, creating a safe space for emotional healing. Transforming Your Inner Dialogue: Uncover effective techniques to edit the negative self-talk and limiting beliefs, allowing for a positive and nurturing inner dialogue. Prioritizing Regulation and Control: Understand the significance of paying attention to your body's needs and prioritizing self-regulation, taking charge of your emotional well-being. Building Healthy Boundaries: Recognize the impact of relationships that replicate your mother's treatment or the inner critic within yourself, and learn how to create distance and establish healthy boundaries. Self-Care as a Radical Act: Discover why narcissistic abuse recovery work is the ultimate act of self-care and how to cultivate a healthier relationship with rest and restoration. Have a question for the show? Send an email or recorded voice memo to: [email protected] If you value Mother Mayhem and have found the show helpful in your trauma recovery, consider becoming a sponsor by purchasing 'Simple Scripts for Saying Hard Things.' This resource provides the right words for difficult conversations, covering all aspects of life, love, and work.