Brad Carr Podcast

Brad Carr interviews the world's best leaders.

Author: Brad Carr

Brad Carr interviews the world's best leaders. Guests include Navy SEALs, #1 New York Times bestselling authors, CEOs, and more. Listen anywhere you get your podcasts, and please rate and review the podcast if you enjoy it. In 2018, Brad Carr teamed up with the Navy Leadership and Ethics Center to produce 12 podcasts with guests featured on the Navy Reading List and Navy Movie List. Those episodes are archived here. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this content are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency.
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How to Identify a Social Predator (The 4 Phases) - Dr Peter Salerno
Episode 212
Friday, 4 September, 2026

Psychological insights and actionable strategies direct to your inbox: https://bradcarr.transistor.fm/newsletter00:00 In This Episode00:32 Introducing Dr. Peter Salerno00:44 Predatory Relationships: The Most Common Patterns02:40 Why You Are Targeted by a Predator04:59 Who Is Vulnerable to a Social Predator?08:11 The Tactics of a Social Predator10:07 The Psychological Structure of Predatory Behavior13:29 Learn to Use Patterns Not Diagnoses16:14 The Lingering Upset Effect18:38 Gut Feelings and Predators20:40 Questions to Ask Yourself In Relationships22:27 Finding Useful Information on Personality Disorders-Peter Salerno on Narcissism and Genetics: https://youtu.be/yx-0px-ymtM25:40 When to Stop Studying Predators26:58 Group Therapy and Recovery28:47 Phase 1: Idealization (Trust)36:19 How Idealization Ends37:45 Phase 2: Devaluation (Control)40:04 Intermittent Reinforcement and Gaslighting42:18 Identifying Intentional Harm46:49 Maintaining Control Over a Target48:02 Why We Can't Recognize Devaluation49:22 Social Isolation and Immersion Tactics51:40 How Devaluation Ends52:30 Phase 3: Abandonment (Avoiding Accountability)53:13 Shocking the Target54:58 Publicly Replacing the Target57:28 Tactics of the Abandonment Phase58:40 Recycling Tactics of Idealization1:01:41 How Abandonment Ends1:02:18 How to Disengage1:03:04 Phase 4: Post-Relationship Abuse1:04:16 Tactics of Post-Relationship Abuse1:05:38 Smear Campaigns and Reputational Destruction1:08:02 Preparation for Post-Relationship Abuse1:10:37 Are Predators In Denial?1:12:37 The Most Important Thing to Understand1:13:43 Trance and False Intimacy1:14:48 Callousness: The Most Important Trait1:17:32 find Dr. Peter Salerno online1:18:04 Upcoming Project with Dr. Debra Lieberman-Previous interview with Peter and Deb: https://youtu.be/fllr7gLgDgE1:19:50 Further Recommendations-Previous interview with Peter Salerno: https://youtu.be/lt8AC7x34S8RESOURCESPrevious interview with Peter Salerno: https://youtu.be/lt8AC7x34S8Peter Salerno's book: https://amzn.to/4qU7BROPeter Salerno's website: https://www.drpetersalerno.com/Peter Salerno on YouTube and Instagram: @DrPeterSalerno Brad's microphone: https://amzn.to/4jVOjqq🔔 SUBSCRIBE to help get more guests on the show: https://goo.gl/uEAeNpIn this conversation we cover why you do not need a diagnosis to identify the patterns of a social predator, the four phases every predatory relationship moves through, and the critical difference between a defense mechanism and what Dr. Peter Salerno calls a preference mechanism: an offensive tactic delivered in the costume of a defense. He also explains the lingering upset effect, the reason one conversation can cost you a week of sleep, and why that particular confusion is installed rather than accidental.Dr. Peter Salerno is a licensed psychotherapist with a doctorate in clinical psychology, trained to administer the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, the standard used to evaluate psychopathy in clinical and forensic settings, and a featured expert in the Hulu docuseries Ted Bundy: Dialogue with the Devil. His book is The Social Predator's Secret Playbook: Traits and Tactics of Pathological Personalities and How to Recognize Them.How to Identify a Social Predator (The 4 Phases) - Dr Peter SalernoThe Playbook Every Social Predator Uses on You - Dr Peter SalernoUnmasking Social Predators: The Phases of Exploitation"Predators idealize then devalue to control.""Genuine intimacy takes time, not rapid idealization.""Gut feelings are signals of manipulation."