Brenda Stephens, LPCC

Founder, Author, and Survivor

Hi, I’m Brenda Stephens, a therapist, author, and survivor who created Narcissistic Abuse Recovery Center to be the kind of resource I wish I had during my own recovery. After working with hundreds of clients and walking my own path out of narcissistic abuse, I’ve come to believe that healing isn’t about getting over it. It’s about finally coming home to yourself. I specialize in helping people untangle the invisible wounds of narcissistic abuse, rebuild their self worth, and find solid ground again. I’m the author of Recovering from Narcissistic Mothers: A Daughter’s Guide and The Narcissism Recovery Workbook, and I bring that same depth and realness to everything I do, whether it’s therapy, writing, teaching, or connecting through our podcast, Two Queens and a Joker: My Narcissist’s Ex and Me. If you’re here, you’re not alone anymore.

Looking for therapy? Meet our clinicians at the Trauma Recovery Collaborative.

Narc Trauma

To be a victim of narcissistic abuse is devastating. Whether the narcissist is at work or home, it is not obvious right away that the person in question has narcissistic traits, and they tend to cause a lot of emotional damage before we figure it out. In the workplace, we may be trying to gain the approval of a boss who is constantly raising expectations. With a parent, we are trying to gain love, nurturing, and attention and learn what works to get those needs met. In a romantic relationship, we so want to believe in the flowery picture the narcissist has painted for us, we tend to find ways to justify their behavior even when the behavior is overtly toxic. In any case, the non-narcissist is usually bewildered and needs time to understand and heal from what happened to them.

To be a victim of narcissistic abuse is devastating. Whether the narcissist is at work or home, it is not obvious right away that the person in question has narcissistic traits, and they tend to cause a lot of emotional damage before we figure it out. In the workplace, we may be trying to gain the approval of a boss who is constantly raising expectations. With a parent, we are trying to gain love, nurturing, and attention and learn what works to get those needs met. In a romantic relationship, we so want to believe in the flowery picture the narcissist has painted for us, we tend to find ways to justify their behavior even when the behavior is overtly toxic. In any case, the non-narcissist is usually bewildered and needs time to understand and heal from what happened to them.