Sep 9, 2025
Tracy talks with pyschologist Dr. Peter Salerno about the intersection of infidelity and personality disorders. A lot of conventional therapy assumes that clients lack insight into their behavior and that antisocial behavior is the result of childhood trauma. Dr. Salerno argues that this approach ignores the behavioral science of personality disorders. Manipulation, deception, and a pathological lack of remorse are hallmarks of narcissism and sociopathy and these abusive acts are intentional. And to a certain extent, even hard-wired.
How does this science challenge the victim-blaming narratives around infidelity? Could the serial cheater, family abandoner, or deadbeat parent have a personality disorder? Do these manipulative characters keep you confused and hopeful on purpose?
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Peter Salerno, PsyD, is a retired licensed
psychotherapist, trauma-informed educator, and the author of Nature
and Nurture of Narcissism; and Traumatic Cognitive Dissonance:
Healing from an Abusive Relationship with a Disordered
Personality.
Dr. Salerno has received specialized training in trauma treatment
and personality disorders and was trained to administer and score
the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), the international
standard for the clinical and forensic assessment of psychopathy.
He has treated mental health conditions in a variety of clinical
settings. His first book, Fit For Off Duty, has been required
reading for law enforcement officers at the FBI Academy in
Quantico, Virginia.
Dr. Salerno has consulted internationally for educational purposes
with individuals who have experienced traumatic cognitive
dissonance resulting from pathological relationship abuse. He is
also a featured expert in the Hulu/Disney+ docuseries Ted Bundy:
Dialogue with the Devil, where he contributed his expertise on
psychopathy and personality pathology.
Follow him at Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drpetersalerno/
On Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@DrPeterSalerno