#447 From Guilt Trips to Gaslighting: How to Outsmart a Manipulator
Love, Happiness and Success with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby
4.6 • 849 Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2025
⏱️ 63 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Ever leave a conversation feeling like your brain’s been scrambled and you’re not sure why? Maybe you’re suddenly questioning your own reality, feeling guilty, or bending over backwards for someone who... let’s be real, might not deserve it? If that sounds familiar, pull up a chair, my friend.
Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on manipulation—not to teach you these tactics (please don’t use them!), but so you can spot them, disarm them, and never get played again.
In this episode of the Love, Happiness & Success podcast, I’m breaking down the five most common manipulative tactics, why they work so well, and how to protect yourself—with confidence, clarity, and maybe even a little compassion.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Welcome to the dark side (just kidding... kind of)
01:28 – Why manipulation works on good people
04:51 – Awareness is your superpower
06:01 – Guilt-tripping 101: How they hook you
09:07 – How to disarm a guilt trip like a boss
18:03 – Playing the victim: When empathy is used against you
31:36 – Love bombing: It’s not just for dating apps
33:01 – Healthy relationships take time (and boundaries)
36:55 – Narcissists, splitting, and people who come on way too strong
43:22 – Withdrawal + passive aggression = manipulation in disguise
54:11 – Let’s talk about gaslighting (finally!)
01:01:18 – What to do if you have vulnerabilities that get you caught in this stuff
If you’re realizing that certain relationships in your life are way more complicated than they should be—or if you’ve been stuck in a cycle of guilt, confusion, or second-guessing yourself—you don’t have to stay there. You deserve support. You deserve clarity. You deserve healthy connections.
Come connect with me and my amazing team at Growing Self and schedule your free consultation. Whether you’re looking for therapy or coaching, we’re here to help you break free from toxic patterns and build the life and relationships you actually want.
And hey—don’t be a stranger! You can find me on Instagram and YouTube for even more real-talk, tools, and live Q&A sessions. Let’s grow together.
Xoxo
P.S. Know someone who’s been struggling with manipulation in their relationships? Be a good friend—share this with them. It might be the lightbulb moment they’ve been waiting for. 💡❤️
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I've got eyes that can see inside. |
| 0:04.0 | Have you ever walked away from a conversation or an interaction feeling confused, maybe guilty, questioning your own reality? |
| 0:15.0 | I can see right through your disguise. I can see right through your disguise. |
| 0:24.8 | Could be. |
| 0:25.8 | You are dealing with a master manipulator. |
| 0:30.1 | And that's why today on love, happiness, and success, I am pulling back the curtain on the dark arts of manipulation. |
| 0:39.0 | Not so you can use these tactics yourself, please don't, |
| 0:42.9 | but so that you can spot them before they work on you. |
| 0:48.9 | So in our conversation today, I will be revealing the five most powerful and common techniques that master |
| 0:57.8 | manipulators use to control others. |
| 1:01.0 | And also talking about why these tactics are so effective as well as exactly how to disarm |
| 1:08.9 | them when you see them coming. |
| 1:27.1 | Friends, we are enjoying X-ray eyes, a new track by our favorite band, LCD sound system, whole new album, definitely check it out, good stuff, |
| 1:31.2 | and LCD sound system happens to be on tour right now at the time of this recording. So if you |
| 1:37.2 | are a fan as well, here's your chance to hang out in person, IRL, as the kids say, get your commemorative t-shirt and have a good |
| 1:47.1 | time. LCD sound system. All right. Hello, it is so good to be here with you today. And I am |
| 1:58.6 | personally excited about this topic because I feel like we don't talk about |
| 2:03.9 | this stuff enough. I feel like many times on this podcast, you know, I'm here to celebrate the |
| 2:09.1 | goodness in relationships. I am here on a mission of growth, love, happiness, and success every |
| 2:15.1 | week. And I believe in having a compassionate point of view with other |
| 2:22.1 | people. I think that people do the things that they do for a reason. I believe in noble |
| 2:28.5 | intentions. And I say this, you know, as a therapist and as a coach who has spent many, many, many, many hours sitting |
... |
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