Additional Expertise
Specialties
About Donna Andersen
I am an expert on sociopaths and narcissists in relationships — author of Lovefraud.com and host ot the True Lovefraud Stories podcast. I can help you identify if your partner, family member, work colleague or friend is disordered, and offer you practical advice on what to do — how to escape, or if that isn't possible, how to cope.
I learned about sociopaths the hard way—by marrying one. James Alwyn Montgomery, originally of Sydney, Australia, met me and quickly proposed in 1996. In two and a half years, Montgomery defrauded me of $227,000, cheated on me with at least six different women, fathered a child with one of them, and then, 10 days after I left him, married the mother of the child. It was the second time he committed bigamy.
Because of my experience, in 2005 I founded Lovefraud.com, a website and blog that teaches people how to recognize and recover from sociopaths — people who could be diagnosed with antisocial, narcissistic, borderline, histrionic or psychopathic personality disorder. Over the years I have collected more than 10,000 cases, and I'm now telling some of those stories in my podcast, True Lovefraud Stories.
My eight books:
- Senior Sociopaths - How to recognize and escape lifelong abusers
- Understanding the Sociopath
- Seduced by a Sociopath
- Dealing with a Sociopath
- Recovery from the Sociopath
- Red Flags of Love Fraud—10 signs you’re dating a sociopath
- Red Flags of Love Fraud Workbook
- Love Fraud—How marriage to a sociopath fulfilled my spiritual plan
I also founded a nonprofit, Lovefraud Education and Recovery. We offer online webinars to help survivors and therapists spot, escape and recover from narcissists, antisocials, psychopaths and other manipulators. I am co-author of several scientific papers, on topics such as senior psychopaths and therapy for victims. I have presented research to the Society for the Scientific Study of Psychopathy.
To educate the world about sociopaths, I've appeared on television shows including Love Honor Betray, Deadly Women and Who the Bleep Did I Marry? (all on Investigation Discovery) Insight in Australia, ABC News 20/20, My Life is a Lifetime Movie, Handsome Devils and The Ricki Lake Show. I've been interviewed for multiple radio shows, print articles and web posts.
According to expert estimates, there may be 30 million adult sociopaths in the United States — and millions more around the world. These people are dangerous to your emotions, health, physical safety and finances. They can be avoided, if you know what to look for. Unfortunately, most of us don't know the warning signs, and end up entangled with them. I can help you escape and recover — and yes, recovery is possible. I met my new husband in 2001, and we've been together ever since.
I offers personal consultations via phone, Zoom or Skype.