I’m Dr. Peter Salerno. I am a licensed psychotherapist who holds a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree and a Master of Science (MS) degree in Clinical Psychology. I am also a clinical supervisor and consultant, and I specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of trauma and stress-related conditions as well as the diagnosis of Cluster B Personality Disorders.

One of my unique specialties is working with people who have been or are currently dealing with pathological personalities and other types of manipulative people and feel lost, helpless, and hopeless in their relationship or situation. I have also written several books on this subject.

When it comes to pathological relationship abuse, unfortunately, many professionals inadvertently cause harm to victims and survivors because they are not properly informed and educated about personality pathology. Because of this, it is all too common to end up with a well-meaning professional who cannot adequately educate you on the true nature of pathological relationship abuse, of the kind of relationship you are actually in, or of the kind of person you are truly dealing with. Without this foundational knowledge, the professional cannot intervene in ways that produce much relief or any lasting recovery. Because of this, the field of mental health has historically let victims and survivors of pathological relationship abuse down. Mental healthcare has not sufficiently validated survivors or helped them recover from their abuse and resulting trauma.

Though these mental health professionals may be well-meaning, this ill-informed therapeutic approach has them aligning—at least at first—with the abuser rather than with the victim and survivor. Nothing can be more demoralizing to someone desperately seeking support and validation for what they’ve gone through than to be asked to not only be intellectually objective but to also empathize with an abuser.

 My Unique Approach 

This is where my personal experience and professional effectiveness may prove very helpful for you. My views on personality pathology, which are based on hard scientific data, differ significantly from the vast majority of professionals in the field of mental health. It is my belief that one of the greatest failures in all of mental health science has been the widespread mis-education about the root cause of personality pathology.

If you are dealing with past or present relational trauma, post relationship abuse, or believe you are currently in a relationship with a pathologically manipulative and abusive person like a Cluster B personality and are unsure what to do, trust me when I say that I can help you.