by Wendy Hoke | Oct 13, 2026 | Family Estrangement, Narcissistic Abuse, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, PTSD
What motivates a narcissist? Standard thought: an insatiable need for external validation, a craving for social dominance, and a deep-seated fear of worthlessness and exposure. Beneath a confident exterior, a narc has a fragile ego in hypervigilant mode to protect...
by Wendy Hoke | Sep 22, 2026 | Boundaries, Building Resilience in Healing, Childhood Sexual Abuse, CPTSD, Family Estrangement, Going No Contact
My 16 year old son went no-contact with his father, my ex, about 18 months ago. Since that time, he occasionally asks me a loaded question, such as “do you think I’m being cruel?” Knowing what his father did and is capable of doing, I have supported his decision....
by Wendy Hoke | Jul 31, 2026 | Abandonment and CPTSD, Boundaries, Building Resilience in Healing
My father died on June 6, 1998. My mother died on June 8, 2025, at the age of 89, 27 years after her husband almost to the day. On the day my father passed away, my mother, Gretchen, began digging a grave. Not literally, but metaphorically. For 27 years, she tried to...
by Wendy Hoke | Jul 29, 2026 | Boundaries, Family Estrangement
Summer is coming, and the county fair will be a highlight as always. As a child, I enjoyed the Ferris wheel, the smell of kettle corn, and cinnamon buns. The Fun Zone delivered excitement with barkers calling us to games rigged just enough to keep us hooked –...
by Wendy Hoke | Jul 15, 2026 | Building Resilience in Healing, Childhood Sexual Abuse, Healing from Toxic Shame, Mental Health Advocacy
Frequently, a sexual abuse victim comes forward after many years of silence–sometimes much later in life. Doing so means facing skepticism. Why did you wait? How can you be credible now? Aren’t those false memories? That victim frequently faces dismissal...
