They Lied About Everything—Now What? How to Grieve a Friendship That Wasn’t What It Seemed

Sounds Like Therapy

Some betrayals are so big, some secrets so shocking, that when the truth comes out, it splits your life in two—into before you knew and after everything changed.

That’s exactly what happened to today’s listener, who suddenly discovered that her family’s closest friends had been hiding deeply disturbing secrets for years. Now, her whole family is reeling. In this episode of Sounds Like Therapy, we talk about what to do when everything you thought was safe and familiar suddenly feels like a lie.

We discuss:

• Why betrayal from friends hits as hard (or harder) than betrayal in marriage
• What your brain is trying to do after a trauma—and how to respond
• How to help your kids process the loss without burdening them with the adult details
• Why the memories you made were still real—even if they weren’t the whole story
• How to hold grief and anger at the same time without shutting down or shutting out the world

Whether you've lost a friend, been betrayed by someone you trusted, or simply felt blindsided by someone's hidden truth, this episode will help you navigate the disorientation of before and after—and start to rebuild your trust in others, and yourself.

If you want to stay connected with me between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast. This is also where you can submit your own question for the show, or send me a note to let me know what's on your mind (yes, it's really me on the other end!)

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🎙 Tune in next week for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

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