Jessica Anne Pressler, LCSW is joined by psychotherapist and author Kristen Baird-Goldman to talk about why ADHD and other neurodivergent traits can make people especially vulnerable to narcissistic manipulation. They unpack the “self-blame loop,” rejection sensitivity, rumination (“my day in court”), trauma bonding, and why working with an ADHD-informed, trauma-informed therapist can be the difference between healing and being retraumatized.

About Kristen
Kristen Baird-Goldman, LMFT, ATR, ADHD-CCSP, CIMHP is the author of The CBT Workbook for Adult ADHD and the founder/director of Baird Integrated Therapy, an integrative psychotherapy practice and ADHD center.

Find Kristen
Instagram: @theadhdguru
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristen.bairdgoldman/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-baird-goldman-m-s-lmft-cimhp-6178817/

Practice: Baird Integrated Therapy (website + discovery call)

Disclaimer
This episode is for education only and is not mental health treatment. If you are in immediate danger, call 911. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 for crisis support.

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Season 2 of Your Traitor Within opens with a powerful conversation between Jessica Anne Pressler, LCSW, and abuse recovery coach Beany, founder of Breakthroughs with Beany.

Beany shares her deeply personal story of surviving a decade-long abusive relationship, the trauma bond that kept her stuck, and how her “Traitor Within” — the internal voice shaped by early wounds — convinced her to endure instead of leave. Together, Jessica and Beany unpack the psychology behind narcissistic abuse, love bombing, cognitive dissonance, intermittent reinforcement, and why leaving is rarely a single moment.

This episode explores:

• How trauma bonding can feel like addiction
• Why “strength” can become a mask that keeps you silent
• The role of external validation in abusive dynamics
• Why physical distance creates clarity
• How healing is built through small daily decisions
• The importance of community in recovery

Beany now supports survivors through one-on-one coaching, group programs, and a membership community designed to help women break trauma bonds and rebuild self-worth.

Connect with Beany / Breakthroughs with Beany:
Instagram: http://instagram.com/breakthroughswithbeany

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@breakthroughswithbeany

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@breakthroughswithbeany

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AL3TRJEoy/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Content note: This episode includes discussion of abuse, stalking, and sexual violence.

If you are in danger or need support:
National Domestic Violence Hotline (US): 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

Support the show

In this deeply personal episode of Your Traitor Within, Jessica Anne Pressler sits down with her longtime friend Margaret Josephs for an honest conversation about how childhood conditioning quietly shapes adult relationships — and how learning to recognize that internal “traitor” voice can change everything.

Margaret reflects on growing up parentified, learning early to normalize chaos, over-responsibility, and emotional self-silencing. She shares how those early survival patterns followed her into adulthood, influencing the red flags she excused, the control she tolerated, and the guilt that kept her staying longer than she should have. What looks like strength from the outside often felt like quiet self-betrayal on the inside.

Together, Jessica and Margaret unpack how the Traitor Within isn’t a villain — it’s a coping mechanism that once helped her survive. But when left unexamined, that same voice can keep us stuck in relationships that require us to shrink, justify, or “put up and shut up.” Margaret speaks candidly about therapy, boundaries, safety, motherhood, and the moment she realized she could no longer live a life that denied who she truly was.

This episode is a powerful exploration of parentification, trauma bonding, emotional control, and the long road from survival to self-trust — told with honesty, humor, and compassion.

Margaret Josephs is an entrepreneur, author, fashion designer, and television personality best known for The Real Housewives of New Jersey. She is the founder of Macbeth Collection, co-founder of the mocktail brand Soirée, and the author of Caviar Dreams, Tuna Fish Budget.

Beyond television and business, Margaret is a devoted mother and wife, and a long-standing advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, children battling cancer, and causes centered on women’s empowerment, independence, and self-worth. Known for her candor, compassion, and resilience, she consistently uses her platform to support community, philanthropy, and conversations around growth, healing, and reinvention at every stage of life.

Follow Margaret Josephs:
@therealmargaretjosephs

Follow Soirée:
@drinksoiree