Waking Up to Narcissism

Tony Overbay is a licensed marriage and family therapist who also hosts the award-winning Virtual Couch podcast, and Waking Up to Narcissism is where he applies that clinical expertise to a very specific problem. His framework distinguishes between emotional immaturity and actual narcissism, which is a nuance most shows skip entirely. That distinction matters because the strategies for dealing with each are different, and conflating them can make things worse. Episodes run 50 minutes to over an hour and come out weekly. Tony goes deep on specific topics -- validation and co-regulation, flying monkeys, the family butterfly effect, what happens when naming the narcissism actually backfires. His Death by 1,000 Cuts series has become a touchstone for listeners who recognize the cumulative damage of small, repeated boundary violations rather than obvious abuse. The show has a 4.9 rating from 690 reviews. Tony is warm, measured, and clearly experienced. He does not rush to label anyone and he encourages listeners to think carefully about their situations rather than jumping to conclusions. There is also a premium tier for Q&A content if you want more direct interaction. For anyone who suspects they are dealing with narcissistic dynamics but is not entirely sure, this podcast offers the most careful, thoughtful framework for figuring that out.