April is Stress Awareness Month, and naturally, I’ve been reflecting on the types of stress I most often see in my private practice. While stress wears many faces, one situation consistently sits high on the “stress league table”: separating from a narcissist.
There’s really no other way to put it—removing a narcissist from your life is an act of psychological self-defence. It’s not just a breakup or a divorce; it’s often a complete battle for your sense of self. And if you’re in the middle of it, let me say this clearly: I see you. You are not imagining it. And you are not alone.
The cruelty, the emotional bullying, the gaslighting—these are not just unpleasant behaviours; they are calculated tactics, designed to erode your confidence and control your reality. But here’s what I need you to know: while you might feel exhausted and vulnerable, I will stand squarely in your corner. And I won’t back down.
This kind of support is personal for me. I’ve worked with many people in exactly this situation, and I know how predictably destructive a true narcissist can be. The good news? That predictability is their weakness.
Narcissists are often fuelled by a deep, compulsive need for admiration, paired with a startling lack of empathy. In the context of separation or divorce, this creates a toxic cocktail—one that can escalate rapidly once they perceive they’re losing control. What might start as a breakup quickly becomes a high-stakes emotional game: not to heal or resolve, but to win at all costs.
This isn’t how healthy relationships end. In most breakups, both people might feel hurt or sad, but there’s still a shared hope of closure. With a narcissist, however, it’s rarely about closure—it’s about regaining power. You might face manipulation, smear campaigns, threats, or sudden love-bombing, all designed to destabilise you and pull you back in.
But here’s the truth: you can get out. You can reclaim your peace. And you don’t have to do it alone.
My role is to help you see through the fog, understand the patterns, and build practical and emotional strategies to protect yourself. You are not weak for struggling with this. You are surviving something incredibly difficult—and you’re doing it with strength, even if it doesn’t always feel that way.
So if you’re in the thick of it, or just beginning to wonder if what you’re experiencing might be narcissistic abuse, take heart. There is a way forward. And it begins with knowing you’re worth more than the chaos they create.
I’ll be right here, walking beside you, every step of the way.
Known as the best psychologist around, Wendy’s an obvious choice to be featured on the show’
Cheshire Housewives
As an ex-athlete I’ve always advocated the benefits of keeping in shape physically, but it’s just as important to look after your mental wellbeing. Book a session with Wendy, she’s the person to help you look after your brain just as you would your body.
Graham Bell
5 x Olympic Skier and presenter of BBC Ski Sunday.
Amazing!
Rachel Lugo
Cheshire Housewives
Dare to dream big and Wendy’s THE person to help get you there.
Sam Bailey
X Factor winner with a long list of sell out tour successes under her belt.
The most exciting thing in the world is getting a chance to tear it all up and start again. Keep all the things you want and throw out everything you don’t. Wendy will help you do just that!
Becky Sheeran
Beauty, lifestyle and fashion blogging sensation Becky Sheeran (TalkBeckyTalk)
It’s great to have a leading psychotherapist such as Wendy in the Cheshire area, outside of her Harley Street practice. After publicly raising awareness of mental health issues and myself recovering from depression, I know how immensely life-changing expert intervention can be.
Jason Jarrett
Retired ex-professional football who played for Bury, Wigan, Stoke, Preston, Norwich, Leicester and Brighton during a 14 year career. After leaving professional football, Jason battled depression and recovered with the help of therapy and family support.
Wendy is great at what she does; she made me feel at ease immediately and really helped me work through some issues.
Tara Costello
It’s funny but from the minute I met her I felt so relaxed and she was so easy to talk to. Thank you!
Stevie Brown
Wendy isn’t only really good at what she does, she’s also really easy to talk to.
Gabriel Wilson
I want to thank you Wendy from the bottom of my heart for guiding me through what must have been the most difficult time of my life.
Raza Syed
I was told she was the best and they were right.
Noelle Dray
Although I consider myself a confident person, I was really nervous when I met Wendy for the first time. I had only emailed her before so it was really nerve wracking walking up the stairs to her office. I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I have ever done. Wendy is really normal, no in fact she isn’t normal as she is unfailingly bright and smiley even when she has to listen to me moan on about how awful my life was. It feels like having a chat with somebody who just gets you and you can trust with things you have never trusted anybody else with before. The magic bit comes when things you have talked about just pop up into your head and you start to do things differently. Wendy once joked about not having a magic wand, but I think she has.
Paul Hendry
I came to Wendy with a set of problems I have never been able to fully explain to anyone, which included grief, many family issues and alcohol problems. Wendy truly has an active listening style and absorbs everything you are saying, whilst not making you feel analysed, it is an incredible skill. She astounded me at how she got to the crux of the issues so fast. So much so that we both agreed I only needed one session with her, obviously this may not be the case with everyone but I would confidently recommend her to anyone, regardless of your problems. There was no awkwardness or even clock watching, she is wonderful at what she does, take the plunge and make an appointment, you will not regret it. Life is a direction not a destination and she will get you on the path again.
JB
