The holidays have a way of magnifying everything—our joy, our stress, our expectations… and yes, our loneliness. If you’re going through a divorce or navigating your first holiday season without your kids, the emptiness can feel louder than the Christmas music in every store.

If someone asked you to explain what a trauma bond is, would you be able to provide an example? Have you ever experienced a trauma bond? It happened to me many years ago and I will never forget its impact.

As I’ve been interviewing guests for my new podcast, Bent Not Broken: Starting Over After Abuse, several have mentioned the term “covert narcissist.” I’ve experienced narcissistic behavior before, but it made me wonder—what’s the difference between a narcissist and a covert one? The word “narcissist” has become more familiar in recent years as research sheds light on this complex personality disorder.