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THE VIBRANT SURVIVOR -How to Identify a Narcissist, Narcissistic Abuse, Toxic Relationships, Trauma Healing, Health, Wellness · Lesley Cain - Health and Wellness Coach, Trauma Informed Coach, Healthy Boundaries Coach

169. Going Back Without Going Backwards: Returning to Triggering Places After Narcissistic Abuse

·28 min·2 clips
You can go back and still move forward.
Leslie shares her experience returning to her hometown as a member of the sandwich generation caring for an aging parent while processing decades of family trauma. She explores how environmental locations (streets, childhood homes, schools, courtrooms) trigger nervous system responses tied to stored memories and pain. The episode's core insight: through healing work, therapy, and personal growth, we can transcend the emotional weight of places from our past. Leslie illustrates this with her own story of returning home transformed—no longer subscripting to old family dynamics—and positions geographical location as less powerful than internal growth. She addresses specific trigger scenarios (bullying in schools, family gatherings, hospitals, courtrooms) while emphasizing that nervous system memory is real and valid. The episode balances practical acknowledgment of environmental triggers with empowering perspective that returning home doesn't mean regression.

As heard by us

A steady guide for revisiting painful places with more calm and less fear.

A return to a hometown, family setting, workplace, courthouse, church, or hospital after pain is treated with care here. The piece opens with a four-for-eight breathing exercise and a simple cue to notice the body, then moves into the idea that emotional memory can cling to…

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Why you'd press play

When you need to go back to the same old place and keep your peace intact.

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