A therapist tells someone with a narcissistic mother to ask her to leave the conversation so they can talk to the real hero: the person doing the work to heal. B will probably never get the validation they need from their mom, and that's something to grieve.
Chapters
With your mother's diagnosis and other things going on, there's a level of narcissism, a level of confusion that has to be worked through, that she's not gonna be able to give you on this stage what you deserve. And instead of taking you through a cycle where she's gonna become the hero, I had to ask her to leave. I needed her to just get to a first step where she could take some accountability. You are the hero in this story. You are, and I need you to get your flowers and I need you to get your praise because even though you didn't have an opportunity to express to her, which unfortunately I don't think she's ever gonna give you what you need in that.
It's sad because I live for a mom and everybody else.
Maybe in time, but I think right now as you're doing this amazing work, you're going to have to grieve that this might never happen.