What actually qualifies as abuse?

When does abuse become domestic violence?

And how did social media turn these life-saving terms into weapons of confusion?

In this episode of Breaking Up with Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC breaks down the critical differences between dysfunction, toxicity, abuse, and domestic violence—and explains why misusing these terms can cause real harm.

As a society, we’ve evolved. Behaviors that were once normalized—like yelling, explosive tempers, and emotional volatility—are now being questioned. That progress matters.

But somewhere along the way, context and nuance were replaced with certainty and fear.

Today, social media, influencers, and non-professionals are shaping how people understand abuse—often without training, assessment, or accountability. Complex mental-health and safety issues are reduced to viral sound bites, leading people to label discomfort as danger and conflict as violence.

In this episode, Maria also challenges a harder truth:

Social media has created a new kind of abuse—one rooted in misinformation, fear-based advice, and unqualified authority.

When people are told what to think instead of how to think, autonomy erodes, discernment disappears, and real victims are drowned out.

You’ll learn:

1. What domestic violence actually is—and what it isn’t
2. How abuse and domestic violence are related but not the same
3. Why DV does not require physical violence to exist
4. How insecurity and low self-esteem can look like DV without coercive control
5. How online misinformation creates psychological harm
6. Why precision and context are essential when safety is involved

This conversation isn’t about minimizing harm.

It’s about protecting the meaning of words meant to save lives.

Because when everything is called abuse, no one is safe.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to replace therapy, diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. Content discussed does not constitute clinical assessment or diagnosis of any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek professional support for their own circumstances.

Parental alienation is one of the most misunderstood and emotionally charged dynamics in family systems—and when it’s oversimplified, it can cause real harm.

In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, breaks down what parental alienation actually is, how it develops, why it happens, and what it looks like in real families—without blame, labels, or sound-bite psychology.

This conversation explores:

1. What parental alienation is—and what it is not
2. How children become caught in adult pain and loyalty conflicts
3. The emotional and psychological patterns that drive alienation
4. Different types of parents who may alienate a child (without diagnosing)
5. Real-world examples involving children, teens, and adult children
6. The long-term impact of alienation on identity, relationships, and trust
7. How healing begins for parents and adult children alike

This episode is not about choosing sides or dismissing real abuse.

It’s about understanding patterns, protecting children, and breaking cycles of emotional harm.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to replace therapy, diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. Content discussed does not constitute clinical assessment or diagnosis of any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek professional support for their own circumstances.

Estrangement isn’t just “cutting people off.”

It can be protection… and it can also be avoidance disguised as healing.

In this episode, Maria Shkreli, LMHC breaks down the truth behind estrangement — what it actually is, the different types, and why it’s far more complex than social media makes it seem.

We explore how trauma, family dynamics, and unresolved attachment wounds can lead to distance — but also how trend-driven messages, including the popular “Let Them” narrative popularized by Mel Robbins, can quietly push people toward isolation without reflection, context, or accountability.

In this episode, we talk about:

• the five main types of estrangement, with real-life examples

• when distance is necessary and protective vs. when it becomes harmful and avoidant

• how trauma and emotional regulation influence estrangement decisions

• how “cut them off” culture can damage vulnerable people

• why the “Let Them” theory can backfire when misunderstood or misapplied

• the questions to ask before making permanent relational decisions

This episode challenges viral narratives and invites deeper reflection — so your choices come from clarity, not impulsive pain.

Estrangement isn’t a trend.

It deserves wisdom, thoughtfulness, and compassion.

If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs it — and don’t forget to follow the show.

What if the behavior you’re calling defiance isn’t defiance at all?

In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, licensed mental health counselor Maria Shkreli breaks down one of the most misunderstood dynamics in parenting: the difference between true defiance and deep insecurity in kids and teens.

You’ll learn why so many children are punished for fear, shame, and overwhelm — and how mislabeling insecurity as defiance quietly damages trust, communication, and emotional safety. Maria explains what defiance actually is, what insecurity looks like at different developmental stages, how behavior changes from childhood into adolescence, and why teens often mask fear with anger, attitude, or withdrawal.

With real-life examples straight from clinical work, this episode challenges common parenting myths and offers a clearer lens for understanding difficult behavior without excusing it. If you’ve ever felt stuck in power struggles, confused by your child’s reactions, or unsure whether discipline is helping or hurting, this episode is for you.

Because not every child who pushes back is defiant — sometimes they’re just afraid and don’t know how to say it.

Awareness is where change begins.

View the pdf here: "They're Not Defiant" pdf.

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or individualized mental health treatment. Listening does not establish a therapist–client relationship. Examples discussed are illustrative and not diagnostic. If you have concerns about a child’s behavior or emotional wellbeing, consult a qualified mental health professional.

Ever wonder why your partner’s “help” feels cold… why their silence triggers panic… or why you keep having the same arguments even when you both mean well?

In this episode, Maria Shkreli, breaks down the powerful intersection between your attachment style and your empathy style — the two systems that secretly shape how you love, comfort, react, and communicate.

You’ll learn why:

• Anxious attachers crave emotional empathy

• Avoidant attachers default to logical empathy

• Secure attachers offer balanced, compassionate empathy

• Disorganized attachers switch their empathy based on fear and overwhelm

Through real, relatable scenarios — the unread text, the “we need to talk,” the shutdown, the emotional whiplash — Maria shows how love gets misinterpreted simply because you and your partner speak different emotional languages.

If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, unseen, or confused by someone’s reactions, this episode finally connects the dots.

Your reactions aren’t random — they’re wired.

Your fears aren’t “too much” — they’re patterns.

And your relationship struggles aren’t failures — they’re attachment styles playing out in real time.

In this episode of Breaking Up With Toxicity, Maria Shkreli, LMHC exposes how your attachment style was shaped long before you ever dated anyone… and how it still dictates the way you love, fight, connect, shut down, panic, or pull away today.

Maria breaks down the four attachment styles — Secure, Anxious, Avoidant, and Disorganized — using real, relatable everyday scenarios: the unread text that sends you spiraling, the partner who shuts down when you want to talk, the sudden panic when things get “too close,” the push-pull dynamic that feels like emotional whiplash.

You’ll learn:

• Why anxious attachers overthink and fear abandonment

• Why avoidant partners pull back when emotions get intense

• Why disorganized attachers crave connection but fear it at the same time

• How secure partners can stabilize — or unintentionally trigger — other styles

• Which pairings create healing… and which create chaos without awareness

This episode gives you the emotional clarity you’ve been missing — the “Oh… THAT’S why I do that” moment your relationships have been waiting for.

And stay tuned: next week we bring this full circle with

“Empathy Meets Attachment: Why You Misread People Even When You Think You Understand Them.”

Most people walk around proudly believing they’re “empathetic.”

But here’s the truth: you probably only have **one** of the three empathies — and the misalignment between what you think you’re giving and what others actually need is quietly blowing up your relationships.

In this episode, Maria Shkreli breaks down the REAL psychology of empathy:

Cognitive, Emotional, and Compassionate.

What they are, how they develop, why most people only master one, and how these mismatches create conflict, resentment, emotional distance, and constant misunderstandings.

You’ll hear:

• The full explanation of each empathy type

• Why empathy exists on a spectrum — not a personality trait

• Six real-life scenarios that expose how misalignment shows up in partners, friends, parents, and coworkers

• Why you keep expecting people to show up emotionally in ways they are literally not wired or trained to do

• And the twist that makes all of this even more complicated: **your attachment style**

By the end of this episode, you’ll finally understand why you feel misunderstood, why others seem insensitive or “too emotional,” and why some people are amazing in crisis but terrible at comfort.

This is the episode that will make you see yourself — and everyone around you — differently.

Next week:

When Empathy Meets Attachment: Why You Misread People Even When You Think You Understand Them.

Anger isn’t the problem — it’s how we use it. In this raw and eye-opening episode, Maria Shkreli, LMHC, breaks down anger, the three faces of toxic rage — Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Splitting, and Narcissistic Rage — the enabler, and how they destroy connection, trust, and peace.

You’ll learn how these emotional explosions start, what fuels them, and why they’re more about fear and control than strength. Maria shares powerful examples of what this looks and sounds like in real life — from the partner who screams to feel seen, to the parent who weaponizes silence, to the coworker who burns bridges to protect their ego.

Most importantly, you’ll learn how to recognize, stop enabling, and start healing from the rage that runs deep in dysfunctional systems. Because you can’t call it passion when it’s really pain.

Listen if you’ve ever:

• Walked on eggshells around someone’s temper
• Confused chaos with love
• Felt guilty for setting boundaries
• Or realized your anger has been running the show

It’s time to face the fire without letting it burn you.