When a relationship with a narcissist ends, the caretaking partner is often left confused, deeply hurt, and often still emotionally connected, while the narcissist seems to easily move on to the next relationship. Healing from a Narcissistic Relationship offers guidance about what to expect as the relationship unravels and how to cope with the fallout. It also helps the reader learn to truly disengage and move through the grief process.

Presenting techniques for healing and rebuilding self-esteem and self-confidence, this book offers a guide to developing emotional strength and encourages forgiveness and reconciliation with the past. It shows the reader how to increase emotional self-protections, quit caretaking in relationships, and become more independent and self-loving. Using real stories, Margalis Fjelstad offers a process of healing that can direct the reader away from former patterns of inequitable relationships and toward loving, caring connections that can truly grow healthfully and flourish. It shows that ending a relationship with a narcissist may be the best thing that ever happened. 

Margalis Fjelstad, PhD, LMFT, works with clients who are in relationship to someone who has borderline or narcissistic personality disorder, and she facilitates groups on Caretaker recovery. She has previously been an Adjunct Faculty member at Regis University in Colorado Springs and at California State University in Sacramento. She is the author of the hugely popular Rowman & Littlefield title Stop Caretaking the Borderline or Narcissist.

Part I: The Narcissist and the Caretaker
1: It’s All About THEM—Narcissists
2: What About YOU?
3: Why Relationships with Narcissists Always Crash
Part II: How Could This Be Over?
4: The End Game
5: What Just Happened?
6: Coping with the End
7: Letting Go
Part 4: Healing After the Crash
8: Grieving
9: Healing Self-Esteem
10: Rebuilding Self-Confidence
11: Loving your SELF
Part 5: Empowerment
12: Developing Inner Strength
13: Self-Protection
14: Becoming Independent
Part 6: Transform Your Life into Your Dream
15: Forgiveness
16: Coming Home to Yourself
17: Finding Others to Love
18: Living Your Intention

Must-read for anyone struggling with the ending of a relationship with a narcissist. Dr. Fjelstad clearly and powerfully lays out what you need to do for yourself to heal from the ravages of a relationship with a narcissist. I love her straight-forward way of describing the narcissist, as well as her direct, no-nonsense way of describing the caretaker - the enabler of the narcissist. If you want to heal from the end of your relationships with a narcissist, as well as not repeat your same patterns in your next relationship, this book is for you.
— Margaret Paul, PhD, co-creator of Inner Bonding; author of Inner Bonding; co-author of Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You? and Healing Your Aloneness

Margalis Fjelstad does a wonderfully thorough job of helping to understand what motivates the narcissist and in recognizing the partner’s role in the relationship. However, this book is not just about being in relationship with a narcissist. It is chock-full of valuable insights for other difficult relationships as well. Healing from a Narcissistic Relationship explores the identical Issues I’ve focused on with couples for the last 30 years. I especially appreciate the attention she gives to expectations and disappointments, the Drama Triangle, overly-controlling behavior, lack of personal boundaries, rejection and taking things personally.
— Elayne Savage, PhD, relationship and workplace coach; professional speaker; author of Don’t Take It Personally! The Art of Dealing with Rejection and Breathing Room – Creating Space to Be a Couple

Margalis Fjelstad provides a complete overview and does exactly what the subtitle says, guides the caretaker to recovery, empowerment and transformation. Healing from a Narcissistic Relationship goes much farther than clinical knowledge and gets to the feelings of hurt and betrayal; offering a great deal of knowledge of what its really like to have a narcissistic partner.
— Randi Kreger, borderline and narcissistic personality disorders expert and advocate for families, the author/coauthor of Stop Walking on Eggshells and The Essential Family Guide to Borderline Personality Disorder