Book Overview

Unbroken: Healing from Narcissistic Abuse and Reclaiming Me is a memoir and healing guide that explores what happens after leaving abuse—when physical freedom comes first, but the nervous system is still learning that it is safe.

Rather than focusing on how to leave a narcissistic relationship, Unbroken addresses the quieter, more complicated aftermath: the patterns that predate the relationship, the grief that follows clarity, and the long process of reclaiming identity after years of emotional erosion.

This book is written for survivors who know their story did not begin—or end—with one relationship, and for the people who want to better understand how trauma lives on long after danger has passed.

Author

Tina Paone, PhD is a licensed therapist, counselor educator, and advocate specializing in trauma recovery and narcissistic abuse. She has spent years working with survivors who are often told that leaving an abusive relationship is the end of the story—only to discover that it is often just the beginning.

In Unbroken, Tina weaves together lived experience, professional insight, and decades of personal writing to explore the long arc of healing: from early emotional neglect and grooming, through adult relationships shaped by coercive control, and into the slow, intentional work of reclaiming self. Her writing resists sensationalism and instead centers honesty, pattern recognition, and agency.

Tina writes and speaks about trauma in ways that are grounded, accessible, and deeply respectful of survivors’ autonomy. Her work emphasizes that healing is not about blame or perfection, but about understanding, boundaries, and learning to live fully in the aftermath of harm.

About the Book

Unbroken is not a story of revenge or resilience for show. It is an exploration of survival, truth, and what it takes to rebuild a life after years of being unseen, unheard, or emotionally unsafe.

The book challenges common misconceptions about abuse—particularly the belief that leaving is the same as healing. It examines how trauma shapes the nervous system, why survivors often struggle long after they are “out,” and how clarity can bring both relief and grief.

At its core, Unbroken is about reclaiming voice, identity, and agency—not by erasing the past, but by understanding it.

Key Topics & Themes

• Narcissistic abuse and coercive control

• Why leaving isn’t the same as healing

• Trauma and the nervous system

• Emotional neglect and early conditioning

• Pattern recognition across relationships

• Grief, anger, and truth-telling

• Boundaries and identity reclamation

• Trauma-informed healing and recovery