Episode 34

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Published on:

7th Sep 2025

The Dysfunctional Dance: Narcissists, Empaths & Trauma Bonds

In this fierce, soul-shaking episode of Survival Mode Disrupted, Dr. Rita Louise helps us decode the hidden trauma bond between narcissists and empaths — and why it keeps so many women trapped in survival-mode relationships. From energy dynamics to emotional programming, Dr. Rita peels back the layers of toxic love and guides us toward radical self-awareness.

Here’s what we unpack:

  • 👀 Why most empaths are trauma-trained, not “born sensitive”
  • 🔥 How narcissists survive by feeding off your emotions
  • 🧠 What it actually means to love yourself (not the IG version)
  • 🚩 How to recognize when your energy is being drained
  • ⚖️ The 80/20 trap of toxic relationships and emotional over-giving
  • ⏳ How to use “purgatory” to pause and assess any connection

🎙️ What We Talk About:

  • How trauma creates both narcissists and empaths
  • The energetic exchange that fuels abusive relationships
  • Why awareness is the first—and most painful—step to freedom
  • What “loving yourself” really looks like after years of abandonment
  • The subtle red flags we ignore (and why we ignore them)
  • Strategies to break the survival bond and reclaim your energy
  • How to assess your relationships without gaslighting yourself


🔑 Key Takeaways:

“Most empaths didn’t choose to be empathic — their trauma trained them to be.”
“Narcissists don’t feed on love. They feed on energy — good or bad.”
“Just because you can tolerate dysfunction doesn’t mean you should.”
“Curiosity isn’t weakness. It’s the doorway to freedom.”


🙌 Why This Episode Matters:

If you’ve ever been in a one-sided relationship, felt like you were always giving and never receiving, or questioned why your energy feels drained around certain people—this conversation will wake you up. Dr. Rita doesn’t just explain the dynamics; she gives you the language, the tools, and the permission to choose yourself.


💬 Connect with Dr. Rita:

  • 🌐 Website: https://www.soulhealer.com
  • 📚 Author of The Dysfunctional Dance of the Empath and Narcissist + 6 other books
  • 🎥 YouTube: Just Energy Radio
  • 📺 Weekly Livestream: Thursdays at 7PM CST (Free on-air readings!)


🔗 Resources & Links:


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About the Podcast

Survival Mode Disrupted with Leticia R Francis
Disrupted Unapologetic Conversations about Survival Mode
Survival Mode Disrupted is not just a podcast. It's a rebellion.

A raw, unfiltered space where we finally stop pretending we're fine and start telling the truth—the truth about the trauma we've carried, the identities they had to wear to survive, and the radical decisions we made to break free.

Because here's the deal: survival mode isn’t just a season. It’s a damn identity. One that so many were forced to adopt just to get through life, to stay safe, to stay needed, to stay sane. But eventually, it starts costing you more than it protects. Your peace. Your purpose. Your power.

This podcast is for the disruptors—the people who were told to stay small, stay silent, stay grateful for crumbs… and said “hell no.”

Hosted by Leticia, The Survival Mode Disruptor herself—a trauma recovery mentor, speaker, and woman who has lived through the fires of abuse, betrayal, and breakdown and still chose to rise—this show dives deep into the unapologetic exits from survival mode that no one talks about.

You’ll hear from women (and a few brave men) who walked away from toxic relationships, soul-sucking careers, generational dysfunction, religious trauma, cultural expectations, and the lies they were taught to believe about themselves. Not because it was easy—but because staying would’ve killed something sacred inside of them.

These are the stories of bold pivots, quiet courage, and messy but miraculous rebirths.

Each episode is a conversation—a disruption—meant to wake something up in you. Whether it’s a guest sharing the moment they chose themselves for the first time, or Leticia dropping a truth bomb that makes you question everything you’ve normalized, this podcast is here to shake the foundation of your survival mode identity and replace it with something truer. Something freer.

We’re not here for surface-level self-care tips or fake empowerment slogans.

We’re here to talk about what it really takes to:

Reclaim your voice after being silenced.

Reinvent yourself after being broken down.

Rewrite your story when everyone else wants you to stay the same.

Release the guilt of choosing YOU.

This is for those who are done performing. Done pleasing. Done pretending.

It’s for the ones ready to exit survival mode—not slowly, not quietly, but disruptively and unapologetically.

You won’t leave this podcast the same.
You’ll cry. You’ll rage. You’ll laugh.
You’ll see yourself in every story.
And more importantly, you’ll remember who the hell you are.

Welcome to Survival Mode Disrupted.
It’s not just a podcast.
It’s a movement.
And your exit begins here.

About your host

Profile picture for Leticia Francis

Leticia Francis

I am not here to inspire you—I am here to activate you.

As a Survivor, Keynote Speaker, and Trauma Recovery Mentor, I know what it’s like to fight battles no one sees. I also know that breaking free is possible. My work is about disrupting survival mode, exposing trauma-driven success cycles, and giving women the blueprint to reclaim their lives.

🔹 200+ podcast features & speaking engagements
🔹 Global Women of Choice Award Winner 2022
🔹 Creator of the Survival Mode Exit Plan
🔹 Host of Survival Mode Disrupted Podcast