Some stories rearrange how we see predators, survivors, and the slow work of becoming whole. This conversation with psychotherapist and survivor Nikki Eisenhower does exactly that. She breaks down how grooming hides inside everyday kindness—bedtime rituals, small errands, gentle touch—especially when a child is starved for warmth. That’s what makes it so dangerous and so easy to miss. Nikki also opens a window into repressed memory, explaining how the body sealed off what a child couldn’t bear and how a later trigger brought it all back with painful clarity.

We get into the hard parts few shows cover: what happens when a survivor finally speaks and the family closes ranks; how abusers use “sleepwalking” and other scripts to fog the truth; and why pressing charges in non-homicide cases can feel sloppy and disheartening. Through it all, Nikki offers language and tools for listeners who need more than sympathy. She lays out how to rebuild boundaries you can actually enforce, how to use intuition as a compass, and how inner child work can return choice and safety to the present. This is healing without platitudes—practical, compassionate, and fiercely honest.

The second half of our talk turns to love after trauma. We explore the brain’s pull toward the familiar, the traps of love-bombing and victim-flipping, and the everyday habits that signal a healthy partnership: direct communication, clean repair, and a willingness to learn. Nikki’s path—from chaos to a relationship built on clarity—shows that peace is not a miracle; it’s a trainable state. If you’ve been waiting for a guide that meets you where you are and helps you move toward calm, connection, and self-respect, this conversation is for you.

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