Anger after betrayal can feel intense, confusing, and at times overwhelming. Many women question whether their reactions are “too much” — but what if your anger is not only valid, but an essential part of your healing?

In this episode, I continue to interview Dr. Crystal Hollenbeck, author of Betrayal Trauma Anger: You’re Not Crazy… You’re Angry and You Should Be! to unpack the truth about anger through the lens of betrayal trauma.

Together, we explore:

• What anger really is and why it shows up so strongly after betrayal

• The purpose anger serves in protecting us and signaling our pain

• What makes betrayal-related anger different from “typical” anger

• Why suppressing anger often keeps us stuck in trauma responses

• Healthy, grounded ways to move through anger without abandoning yourself

• How to begin processing anger in a way that supports nervous system safety and self-reconnection

This conversation is both validating and liberating. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is something wrong with me for feeling this angry?” — this episode will help you breathe a little easier and see your anger with more clarity and compassion.

Your anger makes sense. It deserves a voice, not shame.

About

Dr. Crystal Hollenbeck is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Anger Management Specialist, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She helps individuals and couples heal from the devastating impact that broken trust and broken relational attachment brings including the complex trauma that results from intimate betrayal. She is a highly sought after conference speaker and has private practice in Florida where she also conducts 3-day intensives.

Website

https://crystalhollenbeck.com/

Article referenced in Interview:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2024.2306940

Book

https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Trauma-Anger-Youre-Should/dp/B0FN6P62K8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wM614LoIEBMWDrdQhOZoFQ.GPKnCN_hCGwnYR2zsBu3BLWQn0Nwd4kGNkZRIzGROYo&qid=1755753925&sr=8-1

SCIP Protocol

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://crystalhollenbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SCIP-Protocol-Dr.-Hollenbeck.pdf

Rachel's Bookshelf

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/17C3H1PVHJ5N9?ref_=wl_share

Sign up for my Newsletter

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Anger after betrayal can feel intense, confusing, and at times overwhelming. Many women question whether their reactions are “too much” — but what if your anger is not only valid, but an essential part of your healing?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Crystal Hollenbeck, author of Betrayal Trauma Anger: You’re Not Crazy… You’re Angry and You Should Be! to unpack the truth about anger through the lens of betrayal trauma.

Together, we explore:
• What anger really is and why it shows up so strongly after betrayal
• The purpose anger serves in protecting us and signaling our pain
• What makes betrayal-related anger different from “typical” anger
• Why suppressing anger often keeps us stuck in trauma responses
• Healthy, grounded ways to move through anger without abandoning yourself
• How to begin processing anger in a way that supports nervous system safety and self-reconnection

This conversation is both validating and liberating. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is something wrong with me for feeling this angry?” — this episode will help you breathe a little easier and see your anger with more clarity and compassion.

Your anger makes sense. It deserves a voice, not shame.

About the Author

Dr. Crystal Hollenbeck is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, AASECT Certified Sex Therapist, Anger Management Specialist, and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. She helps individuals and couples heal from the devastating impact that broken trust and broken relational attachment brings including the complex trauma that results from intimate betrayal. She is a highly sought after conference speaker and has private practice in Florida where she also conducts 3-day intensives.

Website

https://crystalhollenbeck.com/

Article https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2024.2306940

Book

https://www.amazon.com/Betrayal-Trauma-Anger-Youre-Should/dp/B0FN6P62K8/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wM614LoIEBMWDrdQhOZoFQ.GPKnCN_hCGwnYR2zsBu3BLWQn0Nwd4kGNkZRIzGROYo&qid=1755753925&sr=8-1

SCIP Protocol

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://crystalhollenbeck.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/SCIP-Protocol-Dr.-Hollenbeck.pdf

Rachel's Bookshelf

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/17C3H1PVHJ5N9?ref_=wl_share

Sign up for my Newsletter

⁠⁠https://l.bttr.to/iKgcY⁠

I offer an unscripted dive into a gaslighting experience using Sarah Morales' workbook called "Take Your Power Back." Join me as I use a real life example and explore the mapping system Sarah offers to discern gaslighting behaviors and patterns.

Be sure to check out the workbook which explores the complexities of gaslighting and, as the title suggests, empowers you to step back into your truth.

Pick up your copy here:

⁠https://www.lulu.com/shop/sarah-morales/take-your-power-back/paperback/product-dy6kqdd.html?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAafzxFCsevAkzaUSUgKdWfGAffardpSOOnCe5eTEkX9DX7rzrwm8GhpoE6r95g_aem_Re9zqCw2lDYuGgJJX1Q_Xw&page=1&pageSize=4⁠

Check out all that Sarah has to offer at Sarahmoralescoaching.com

Sarah Morales is the owner and creator of Deconstructing Gaslighting® and is widely recognized as an expert and thought leader on the topic of Gaslighting. She helps raise public awareness on this topic through her many public platforms and creates programs that help empower victims of Gaslighting.

Deconstructing Gaslighting® Academy is a groundbreaking educational and training resource that provides programs for every facet of Gaslighting experiences. With programs for the victims of gaslighting, the perpetrators of gaslighting that are in recovery, and helping professionals, Deconstructing Gaslighting® Academy aims to be THE source people go to receive the life-changing education and tools they need to heal from the effects of Gaslighting and “Take their power back”.

Sarah currently sits on the board of APSATS (the Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists), consults & contracts with numerous helping professionals, and is frequently invited as a guest speaker at national conferences and on podcasts.

Her passion to empower others to transform their lives fuels her work with her clients and pushes her to continue developing new programs on the cutting edge of helping others grow to know, trust, and love themselves more than they knew was possible.

Rachel's Bookshelf

⁠⁠https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/TQFT9UQXEORQ?ref_=wl_share⁠⁠

Sign up for my Newsletter

⁠https://l.bttr.to/iKgcY