Dr. Nadine Macaluso | How I Married (and Escaped) the Wolf of Wall Street

As a young model living in New York City, Nadine Macaluso was “in” with the glamorous crowd of the 80’s and 90’s supermodel era, including the likes of Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell. It was during this time that she was swept off her feet and charmed by a powerful man who seemed to be able to give her everything…She married Jordan Belfort — a.k.a. The Wolf of Wall Street — taking her on a journey through hell and back, including abuse, a capsized yacht, and a fraud so big they’d made a blockbuster movie about it. In today’s episode, she describes how with the lavish high life came frightening lows…recounting the exact moment she knew that she needed to free herself from her marriage. Now with her own practice, Dr. Nadine has found purpose in helping others escape abusive relationships. Tune in for a wild ride and some tips for identifying red flags, the telltale signs of a narcissist, and how to know if you’re in a trauma bond (and when to get out).IN THIS EPISODE:[01:22] Jamie introduces Nadine. [03:51] Nadine begins to share her upbringing in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn and the start of her modeling career as a teen. [06:45] Nadine recounts how she met Jordan and the timeline of their relationship.  [08:33] Nadine describes one of the scariest moments of her life that took place on the yacht that Jordan bought her. [09:49] Nadine explains what it was like to be married at a young age to such a powerful figure. [14:56] Nadine talks about the start of Jordan's violence towards her. [17:06] Nadine describes leaving her marriage with nothing— her main desire just to be free. [18:04] Nadine talks about The Wolf of Wall Street film and meeting Margot Robbie.[19:21] Nadine speaks about the start of her career as a therapist and connecting with women on social media. [22:39] Nadine talks about the reasons she wrote her book (like destigmatizing the victim). [24:03] Nadine explains the two conditions for a trauma bond to exist. [25:53] Nadine speaks about falling in love with her husband of 25 years. KEY TAKEAWAYS:[13:57] Nadine talks about the cognitive dissonance that keeps women in trauma bonds. [21:01] Nadine speaks about the role of social media as a vehicle to empower women to recognize and leave abusive relationships. [22:17] Nadine describes “generativity” and the larger consideration for people as they age to think about the legacy they are leaving. ************Make sure to follow Jamie @jamiehess on Instagram for news & updates, and visit our companion Instagram account @gratitudeology for a sneak peek into the personal moments discussed on the show.************Thank you to Dr. Nadine Macaluso for sharing your truth with us today. Follow Nadine on Instagram @therealdrnadine.Check out more about Nadine: https://drnae.com/************The Gratitudeology Podcast theme music is by HYLLS, performed by Nadia Ali @thenadiaali ************Dr. Nadine’s Bio:As a 22-year-old, Nadine never could have understood what she was committing to when marrying Jordan Belfort, the fraudulent stockbroker infamously known as the Wolf of Wall Street.Their eight-year marriage began as a fairytale, filled with romantic dinners, expensive gifts, and lavish parties. But once they were bonded, Jordan’s ‘mask’ began to slip and acts of infidelity, narcissistic abuse, insatiable greed, and uncontrollable drug addiction became Nadine’s living nightmare. Nadine naively believed that their connection was real, and that her love could save him, so she remained trauma-bonded until the pain of their relationship became too much to bear. It would be decades before she realized her story resembled thousands of other women’s relational experiences.At 30, Nadine packed up her kids and her curtains and left Jordan, relocating to Los Angeles, California.She began a transformative process of intensive therapy and deep self-reflection, which required facing her pain, admitting, and owning her mistakes, and reconnecting with the authentic self she’d lost due to Jordan’s abuse. Through her own healing, a passion for helping others was born. She returned to school at 39 to become a psychotherapist, and ten years later, graduated with a PhD in Counseling and Somatic Psychology.Dr. Nae’s private practice quickly flooded with women recounting an all-too-familiar story of abuse with a pathological partner.Her goal of helping people develop healthy relationships took on a life of its own as she realized that trauma bonds were increasingly prevalent and destroying the lives of hundreds of women. Nadine embarked on a twelve-year journey of learning about domestic violence. She combined her academic background with her experience and that of her patients’, eventually leading her to become an industry expert in narcissistic abuse, trauma bonds, and complex PTSD.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands