Toxic Marriages; How to Know if You’re in One | POF158

This episode is dedicated to listeners who are in toxic relationships with a spouse and co-parent. Maybe you aren’t sure if your partner is toxic, or maybe you think it’s just you. Thankfully I have an expert guest on to help you work it all out.
Heidi Brocke is a Toxic Relationship Awareness and Healing Specialist, who broke free of a 14 year emotionally abusive relationship. The label and diagnosis of Narcissism is prevalent in today’s zeitgeist and can often be misused, so we’re limiting the use of this word in favour of “toxic”.
Heidi stresses that if you are in a relationship with someone who is a bad parent, don’t expect that they’ll be a better parent when you aren’t together. If you have left the person, you have to remember your kids are still in it. What your kids need from you the most is to be their place for peace, stability and unconditional love because they won’t get that from the other parent.
In this episode, Dr. Heidi and I talk about:
What drives a toxic person: deep insecurity which drives the need for control, power (often kept behind closed doors) and attention and admiration (sought out externally).
Red flags that your spouse is toxic include: (remember driven by deep insecurity)

criticism and comparison

name calling

won’t take the blame, will deny mistreatment and don’t apologise (and if they do, it might be to gain control over you)

instilling fear and cutting you off from friends and family

As hard as it is, you have to take the high road and never cut down your spouse in front of your children. Again, their behaviour is driven by THEIR insecurity, it’s not about you, even if they put you down.
For Heidi’s guide, “The 10 Critical Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney for your Divorce From a Toxic Partner,” you can download it from the Parent Toolbox www.parent-toolbox.com.
Please share this episode with anyone who needs to hear this message. Visit Heidi’s Facebook page for her support group https://www.facebook.com/coachingwithdrheidi
About Heidi Brocke
Heidi Brocke is a Toxic Relationship Awareness & Healing Specialist. After spending 14 years in an extremely emotionally and narcissistically abusive relationship she broke the chains and turned her past into her passion; She left her 24 years career in healthcare to use her life experience and education to be the person she needed when she herself was trapped in the darkness of an unhealthy relationship to provide hope, healing, and freedom to those whose lives have been affected by toxic relationships, emotional abuse, and narcissistic behaviours.
Through education, she presents the understanding needed to empower others to walk through fear and into their freedom.
Today she has helped hundreds rid and heal their toxic relationships and hosts the popular podcast, It’s not Normal, It’s Toxic-rid your life of toxic people - with over a million listens worldwide.
She’s an international keynote speaker, recipient of Empowering Women in Business of The Year award by Inspiring Lives Magazine, and has been featured in both Forbes and Time Magazines for the dedication given to her clients and for her work in the toxic relationship area.
Contact information:
Email: [email protected]
Social Media:
Website: https://www.coachingwithdrheidi.com/
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/drheidi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachingwithdrheidi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachingwithdrheidi/
YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCozj9XJ6Gj1VDlnkitWix7Q

Thanks for listening!
It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com
My intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!
I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.
If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.
Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast
If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe on the podcast app on your mobile device.

Leave a review
I appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value adding part of your day.
Ratings and reviews from listeners not only help me improve, but also help others
find me in their podcast app. If you have a minute, an honest review on iTunes goes
a long way! Thank You!!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is dedicated to listeners who are in toxic relationships with a spouse and co-parent. Maybe you aren’t sure if your partner is toxic, or maybe you think it’s just you. Thankfully I have an expert guest on to help you work it all out.

Heidi Brocke is a Toxic Relationship Awareness and Healing Specialist, who broke free of a 14 year emotionally abusive relationship. The label and diagnosis of Narcissism is prevalent in today’s zeitgeist and can often be misused, so we’re limiting the use of this word in favour of “toxic”.

Heidi stresses that if you are in a relationship with someone who is a bad parent, don’t expect that they’ll be a better parent when you aren’t together. If you have left the person, you have to remember your kids are still in it. What your kids need from you the most is to be their place for peace, stability and unconditional love because they won’t get that from the other parent.

In this episode, Dr. Heidi and I talk about:

What drives a toxic person: deep insecurity which drives the need for control, power (often kept behind closed doors) and attention and admiration (sought out externally).

Red flags that your spouse is toxic include: (remember driven by deep insecurity)

criticism and comparison
name calling
won’t take the blame, will deny mistreatment and don’t apologise (and if they do, it might be to gain control over you)
instilling fear and cutting you off from friends and family

As hard as it is, you have to take the high road and never cut down your spouse in front of your children. Again, their behaviour is driven by THEIR insecurity, it’s not about you, even if they put you down.

For Heidi’s guide, “The 10 Critical Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney for your Divorce From a Toxic Partner,” you can download it from the Parent Toolbox www.parent-toolbox.com.

Please share this episode with anyone who needs to hear this message. Visit Heidi’s Facebook page for her support group https://www.facebook.com/coachingwithdrheidi

About Heidi Brocke

Heidi Brocke is a Toxic Relationship Awareness & Healing Specialist. After spending 14 years in an extremely emotionally and narcissistically abusive relationship she broke the chains and turned her past into her passion; She left her 24 years career in healthcare to use her life experience and education to be the person she needed when she herself was trapped in the darkness of an unhealthy relationship to provide hope, healing, and freedom to those whose lives have been affected by toxic relationships, emotional abuse, and narcissistic behaviours.

Through education, she presents the understanding needed to empower others to walk through fear and into their freedom.

Today she has helped hundreds rid and heal their toxic relationships and hosts the popular podcast, It’s not Normal, It’s Toxic-rid your life of toxic people - with over a million listens worldwide.

She’s an international keynote speaker, recipient of Empowering Women in Business of The Year award by Inspiring Lives Magazine, and has been featured in both Forbes and Time Magazines for the dedication given to her clients and for her work in the toxic relationship area.

Contact information:

Email: [email protected]

Social Media:

Website: https://www.coachingwithdrheidi.com/

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/drheidi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coachingwithdrheidi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachingwithdrheidi/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCozj9XJ6Gj1VDlnkitWix7Q

Thanks for listening!

It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.com

My intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!

I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting.

If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.

Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below!

Subscribe to the podcast

If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe on the podcast app on your mobile device.

Leave a review

I appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value adding part of your day.

Ratings and reviews from listeners not only help me improve, but also help others

find me in their podcast app. If you have a minute, an honest review on iTunes goes

a long way! Thank You!!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices