High-achieving woman leader breaks free from narcissistic manipulation with HealStrong’s 1:1 program, clarity, confidence, and empowerment
Sarah thought she’d found the love of her life. He swept her off her feet with lavish praise and constant attention, something she had never experienced. In those first few months she felt seen, valued, almost worshipped. But soon the compliments faded into criticism. The man who once made her feel safe began ignoring her needs and feelings. He punished her with the silent treatment, punished her for sharing her wins, and slowly chipped away at her confidence.
She tried to be perfect, hoping it would win back his affection. She supported their household financially, believing that a child might heal the rift between them. Instead, he grew more emotionally abusive. Under the weight of his contempt, Sarah’s health suffered—hair loss, chronic shoulder and knee pain, low energy, and stalled career growth. Yet she blamed herself and chased solution after solution: astrologers, akashic readers, healers… anything to fix what she felt was wrong inside her.
Co-parenting with a narcissistic husband became a daily struggle. Every interaction left her depleted. Deep down she knew she wasn’t at fault, but she felt trapped by karma and guilt. It was this spiral of self-blame and exhaustion that led her to join HealStrong.
In this case study blog, I share the transformations she experienced through the 8 interventions we did as a part of the HealStrong program. Her coach was the fantastic Team EASE coach Sangeeta Goel who also specializes in helping people heal from toxic/narcissistic abuse.
Sarah had signed up for the platinum 1:1 coaching of the tier of the HealStrong Program. She had access to 1:! coaching sessions with her HealStrong Coach Sangeeta Goel, group coaching sessions with me, Namita - but she couldn't make it to those much and she had access to all the HealStrong Course Modules, Guided Meditations and Community.
Read this case study to know how Sarah, a woman leader broke free from narcissistic manipulation using HealStrong Program
Her transformation in her own words
“When I started on this coaching program, I was somewhere between the Heal and Deal stage. I had been part of the Self-Mastery course before and had done some inner work through the Reveal and Peel stages. I was on my healing journey and struggling with severe shoulder pain, knee pain and low energy levels overall. I had a lot of questions on karma and had a deep compulsion to find answers, solutions and fix one thing after another. I was very impatient. I was going to multiple people (astrologers, akashic readers, healers etc.). I was also struggling immensely to navigate co-parenting with my narcissistic husband.
Key shifts I have made with the support of the excellent HealStrong modules and constant handholding and support from my Team EASE Coach, Sangeeta Goel. I consulted multiple astrologers and akashic readers and came to the conclusion that it is my karma to be in this relationship and I decided to stay. This decision took a couple of weeks to settle in my system. This was very very hard to do when everyone suggested that there is no hope in this marriage. I decided to trust my inner guidance and use this marriage as a catalyst for my spiritual evolution. When the decision was made, there was a degree of ease that followed. Now I was not on two boats. On many occasions, I still struggle with this decision and I go back to my conversations with my coach. I also tell myself that a decision is not written in stone. I can go back and revisit later but for now I have decided to stay. I have free will. My coach also helped me navigate the intense pain and sense of loss these predictions triggered in me.
I benefited a lot from the Self-Love modules. The mirror work was very powerful. Also the work on non-violent communication, understanding my needs and feelings. There is a huge shift in how I live my life now. It manifests in tangible ways like setting up morning and night rituals of self-care, eating wholesome meals, sleep hygiene etc. But it also shows in subtle shifts like asking for a room change if I am feeling uncomfortable in a hotel room, deciding not to pick up my parents from the airport after a very very demanding work week. The biggest manifestation of this is the decision to share my marriage issues with my father. Up to this point I worried for his health, how he would react. One day it occurred to me that he is also strong. I need some financial support from him and I can ask him. I gave importance to my need. I felt very strong and supported after sharing this with him.
I have now noticed that I stop several times during the day to check on myself. What do I feel? What do I need? Can I drink some water to feel better? Should I just breathe for a few cycles? I notice my triggers also. I observe my feelings and then it is easier to deal with them. In terms of my goal around my energy level, I decided to do a course on basic pranic healing. It made me so interested that I am now doing the 4th level of this course. I also worked on my shoulder pain with this healing modality. By the 3rd level it was no longer a healing class, it became a spiritual path for me. I also did a few healings for my family and friends. My goal is not to become a healer but to use this as a tool and focus more on the spiritual teachings of this school. I want to spend some time here practicing the meditations and character building and see where it goes.
I also did an akashic reading course and started practicing. There was some initial progress but then I got overwhelmed with the feeling of being left behind. Doing well and being perfect were a few compulsions I have. My coach was a mirror to me. She told me that I am impatient. I need to be OK and accept myself unconditionally. You cannot force these things. You have to learn to allow. I took a break and started again. I told myself that I may take six months but I will be patient with myself. This is not a race. This is perhaps the single most important shift after the Self-Love Mastery.
In terms of my goal around co-parenting, I have started setting some boundaries. I am repeating my requests but sometimes I do get very anxious. In those moments I try to remember that my son is strong and he has chosen this family. I focus on regulating my emotions and then do what is needed. I also surrender to Devi Maa. Through the meditation on Divine Feminine, I have built a strong relationship filled with love and surrender with Kaali Maa. I look at her fierce form and fill myself with her fire. I also surrender to her every time I am not able to handle any situation. This really helps me recover from setbacks on a day to day basis.
My deep gratitude to Sangeetaji and Namitaji for all the support I have received from the coaching, courses and community. This was exactly what I needed at this stage of my healing journey. I am confident to take the challenges head on and build a life despite this one toxic person in my life.”
Intervention 1: Trusting Inner Guidance and Wanting to Work Through her Karma
Why It Was Needed: Sarah arrived at HealStrong overwhelmed by guilt and confusion. She believed her marriage troubles were karmic punishment and chased every external answer—astrologers, akashic readers, healers—to fix herself. This left her torn between other people’s advice and her own intuition.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: In one-on-one sessions, Sangeeta helped Sarah translate those scattered insights into a clear, personal decision. Rather than simply telling her to stay or leave, Sangeeta guided her through reflection exercises that honored Sarah’s inner wisdom.
Sarah’s Words:
“I consulted multiple astrologers and akashic readers and came to the conclusion that it is my karma to be in this relationship and I decided to stay. This decision took a couple of weeks to settle in my system. When the decision was made, there was a degree of ease that followed.”
Intervention 2: Self-Love Work
Why It Was Needed: After months of devaluation—criticism replacing compliments—Sarah’s self-talk had become harsh and relentless. She blamed herself for his cruelty and believed she had to earn her worth.
How Coach
Sangeeta Supported Her: Sangeeta introduced structured self-love exercises for Sarah including mirror-work exercises from the Self-Love module of the HealStrong Program. She coached Sarah to face her reflection daily and repeat compassionate affirmations tailored to the specific moments when her husband had devalued her. She also helped her recognize and love the parts she did not like in herself.
Sarah’s Words:
“I benefited a lot from the Self-Love modules. The personalized mirror work was very powerful.”
Intervention 3: Nonviolent Communication and Needs Awareness
Why It Was Needed: Sarah had spent years people-pleasing—saying “yes” automatically and swallowing her own needs. This pattern left her exhausted and resentful, especially when her husband’s demands felt unreasonable.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: Sangeeta taught Sarah simple scripts to express her feelings and boundaries without blame. They role-played scenarios—like asking for a different hotel room or declining extra errands—and Sangeeta provided real-time feedback on tone and language.
Sarah’s Words:
“Also the work on non-violent communication, understanding my needs and feelings.”
Intervention 4: Morning and Night Self-Care Rituals
Why It Was Needed: Chronic shoulder and knee pain, combined with low energy, kept Sarah in a survival mindset. She lacked consistent routines that would honor her body’s need for rest and nourishment.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: Sangeeta co-created a personalized self-care plan: gentle morning yoga, guided breathwork, and hydration prompts; evening mirror affirmations and sleep-hygiene checklists
. Each step was paced so Sarah could build confidence rather than feel overwhelmed.
Sarah’s Words:
“It manifests in tangible ways like setting up morning and night rituals of self-care, eating wholesome meals, sleep hygiene etc.”
Intervention 5: Emotional Self-Check-Ins
Why It Was Needed: Every unexpected confrontation
with her husband triggered anxiety that spiraled into self-doubt. Sarah needed a quick way to pause and assess her emotional state before reacting.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: Sangeeta introduced micro-pauses—four-count breaths and self-inquiry prompts—embedded into Sarah’s day. They practiced holding space for discomfort, noticing physical sensations, and naming needs in real time.
Sarah’s Words:
“I stop several times during the day to check on myself. What do I feel? What do I need? … I notice my triggers also.”
Intervention 6: Cultivating Patience and Allowing
Why It Was Needed: Sarah’s impatience drove her to seek quick fixes—hopping from one course to another—without truly integrating lessons. This cycle left her burned out and discouraged.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: With compassionate firmness, Sangeeta held up a mirror to Sarah’s compulsive drive. She guided her through acceptance practices, reminding Sarah that healing unfolds on its own timeline.
Sarah’s Words:
“My coach was a mirror to me. She told me that I am impatient… I took a break and started again. I may take six months but I will be patient with myself. This is not a race.”
Intervention 7: Boundary Setting in Co-Parenting
Why It Was Needed: Every co-parenting conversation felt like walking on eggshells, triggering guilt and anxiety that drained Sarah’s energy and left her feeling powerless.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: Together they crafted precise, respectful boundary statements and practiced emotional-regulation techniques for high-stress calls. Sangeeta helped Sarah build a co-parenting playbook she could refer to before each interaction.
Sarah’s Words:
“In terms of my goal around co-parenting, I have started setting some boundaries… I focus on regulating my emotions and then do what is needed.”
Intervention 8: Healing the Mother Wound
Why It Was Needed: Sarah felt isolated and lacking inner strength when facing setbacks. She longed for a source of fierce courage beyond her own willpower, especially when she felt she could not depend on her parents.
How Coach Sangeeta Supported Her: In the Divine Feminine module, Sangeeta provided guided meditations invoking Kaali Maa’s protective energy. She taught Sarah to anchor in that fierce, loving presence whenever she felt overwhelmed and to also connect with the nurturing protective feminine energy - something that she craved for in her life.
Sarah’s Words:
“Through the meditation on Divine Feminine, I have built a strong relationship filled with love and surrender with Kaali Maa… This really helps me recover from setbacks.”
Each of these targeted interventions, delivered with empathy and expertise by Coach Sangeeta Goel in the HealStrong program, met Sarah exactly where she was—and guided her step by step from chaos to clarity, from pain to purpose.
A Transformation You Can Feel
Today, Sarah feels stronger in her body and mind. She has been promoted at work. Her hair loss has slowed. Her health markers have improved. She pauses throughout her day to check in, drinks water mindfully, and honors her feelings without judgment. She is able to deal with her narcissistic partner with strength and also beautifully co-parent her child. All of this because she chose to invest in the HealStrong program knowing fully well that it is the only holistic program that could help her.
"My deep gratitude to Sangeetaji and Namitaji for all the support I have received from the coaching, courses and community. This was exactly what I needed at this stage of my healing journey. I am confident to take the challenges head on and build a life despite this one toxic person in my life.”
Ready to Rewrite Your Story?
If Sarah’s journey resonates, know this: you do not have to face a toxic relationship alone. HealStrong’s five-stage method meets you where you are. It guides you step by step from despair to zeal.
Join HealStrong today and start your own transformation. Clarity, confidence, and a life free from others’ toxicity are within reach.
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NAMITA PUROHIT 
