The Survivor’s Comprehensive Healing Roadmap
This is a living, growing resource created to help survivors of narcissistic abuse understand what happened, recognize manipulation tactics, heal, and reclaim our lives. Below is the roadmap of phases, themes, and frameworks. Click on any framework to dive into the lessons, tools, and exercises.
➡️ New here? Here’s a brief intro to navigating this roadmap
jump to a healing phase:
🌱Phase 1: Awareness ~ ⚔️Phase 2: Detachment ~ ❤️🩹Phase 3: Healing
🪷Phase 4: Reconnection ~ 💪Phase 5: Empowerment
🌱Phase 1: Awareness
Goal: Help survivors identify and understand what they’ve experienced.
📍THEME: Understanding NPD and Abuse Dynamics
Frameworks: What is Narcissism? What is NPD? What counts as narcissistic abuse? Cycle of abuse. Common myths about narcissism. Signs you’re in an abusive relationship. Etc.
📍THEME: Psychological Effects of Abuse
Frameworks: Cognitive dissonance, trauma bonding, learned helplessness, C-PTSD, hypervigilance, dissociation, etc.
📍THEME: Recognizing Narcissistic Manipulation Tactics
Frameworks:
1. Gaslighting & Reality Distortion
To undermine the survivor’s sense of reality, memory, and perception.
2. Punishment & Control
To enforce compliance, instill fear, and maintain dominance.
3. False Intimacy Tactics
To manufacture closeness or dependency to gain trust and manipulate.
4. Behavioral Reinforcement
To shape the survivor’s behavior through reward/punishment cycles.
5. Verbal & Emotional Sabotage
To erode self-esteem, create self-doubt, and destabilize.
📍THEME: Family Roles & Dynamics in Narcissistic Abuse
Frameworks: Family roles in narcissistic abuse, narcissistic mother, enabler, scapegoat, golden child, lost/invisible child, flying monkeys, parentification, etc.
⚔️Phase 2: Detachment
Goal: Guide survivors through the process of physically or emotionally detaching from their abuser.
📍THEME: Breaking Free from the Narcissist
Frameworks: Strategies for cutting ties or managing unavoidable interactions, setting boundaries, overcoming trauma bonds, addressing feelings of obligation, guilt, or fear of retaliation, recognizing manipulation tactics to pull you back in, safety planning, etc.
❤️🩹Phase 3: Healing
Goal: Help survivors heal emotional wounds and rebuild their sense of identity.
📍THEME: Processing Trauma and Rebuilding Self
Frameworks: Trauma recovery tools: EMDR & CBT, coping with triggers, etc.
📍THEME: Letting Go of Self-Blame
Frameworks: Facts vs. worth, residual programming detox, etc.
📍THEME: Developing Self-Compassion
Frameworks: Rebuilding self-esteem, filling the void, etc.
🪷Phase 4: Reconnection
Goal: Help survivors rebuild trust in others while cultivating healthy boundaries.
📍THEME: Building Healthy Relationships
Frameworks: Trust after trauma, recognizing red flags in future relationships, strengthening support networks, reconnecting with yourself, attachment styles, etc.
💪Phase 5: Empowerment
Goal: Empower survivors to live fulfilling lives beyond their trauma.
📍THEME: Personal Boundaries & Self-Protection
Frameworks: Make yourself hard to abuse, maintaining boundaries in all relationships, assertive communication, etc.
📍THEME: Thriving Beyond Abuse
Frameworks: Finding purpose after abuse, resilience-building strategies, advocacy for survivors, embracing your true self without fear of judgment or manipulation, creating a vision for your future, celebrating growth, etc.
🔧Resources & Tools
🔗Quick Links
Content: Overview:
Overview Recap:
Practice Self-Protective Instincts:
Short-Clips
I create/update/add new content nearly every day, so make sure you’re subscribed to be notified when new resources go live!
