DARVO Dispatch
Join the DARVO™ Experience: A Game for Emotional Intelligence Growth
DARVO™ isn’t just a card game. It’s a mirror , and a tool. In our homes, in relationships, at work , we’ve all seen it happen: Someone denies the harm, attacks the person calling it out, then rewrites the story so they become the victim. It’s a familiar, maddening pattern. And now it has a…
Cobra Kai Controversy: A Real-Life DARVO in Action
On June 25, 2025, bodycam footage revealed Cobra Kai’s Alicia Hannah-Kim confronting Martin Kove over his “playful biting,” which she termed assault. Kove’s dismissal of the behavior and subsequent apology initiated discussions on the DARVO pattern—Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender—illustrating how public figures manipulate narratives and perceptions in controversies.
DARVO™: Turn Emotional Manipulation into Insightful Play
Psychological games, like DARVO™, help us understand complex human behavior through play. DARVO stands for Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender, illustrating emotional manipulation tactics. The game enables players to recognize and respond to manipulative behaviors in a safe environment, promoting emotional intelligence and self-defense skills while being entertaining.
DARVO-“ING”: When ING Means Ignore, Negate, and Gaslight
The content explores the manipulative tactics of ING: Ignore, Negate, and Gaslight, which subtly erode reality rather than overtly attacking. These actions lead individuals to doubt their feelings and memories. The piece emphasizes recognizing these tactics, documenting experiences, and asserting one’s reality as key strategies for dealing with this manipulation.
Assertive or Aggressive? How to Speak Up Without Blowing Up
Knowing how to speak up is a superpower, if you can do it without turning every conversation into a cage match. Whether in relationships or at work, there’s a fine line between assertiveness and aggression. One builds bridges. The other burns them. But many of us were never taught how to walk that line. We…
How to Roast a Manipulator Politely
Not all battles are won with yelling. Sometimes, the sharpest weapon you have is a calm, cutting truth wrapped in flawless delivery. When dealing with manipulators, especially the DARVO variety (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender), it’s easy to feel like you have only two choices: stay silent or blow up. But what if there…
How to Set Boundaries Without Feeling Like the Bad Guy
Setting boundaries doesn’t make you cruel, cold, or confrontational. In fact, the ability to set clear, respectful limits is one of the most important aspects of emotional intelligence, and it’s vital for protecting your time, energy, and self-respect. Yet for many of us, especially people pleasers or those who’ve experienced emotional manipulation, boundary-setting can feel…
DARVO Explained with Memes (Because Why Not)
If you’ve ever walked away from an argument wondering, “Wait… how did they flip that on me?”, congratulations you may have just been DARVO’d. But don’t worry. Today we’re unpacking this psychological jujitsu move with something far more powerful than a therapy session: memes. Welcome to DARVO Explained with Memes because humor is our favorite…
How to deal with gaslighting in relationships (with humor)
Let’s be real: gaslighting sucks. It’s manipulative, confusing, and sometimes so subtle you wonder if you’re starring in your own psychological thriller. But instead of spiraling into self-doubt or becoming an armchair therapist for the person making you question reality, what if you fought back… with humor? Let’s unpack the twisted funhouse of gaslighting and…