Domestic violence shelter CEO shares her survivor story

Domestic Violence Affects Everyone, Says CEO Tiffany Tate

DALLAS – Domestic violence does not discriminate based on education, class, or gender. Tiffany Tate, who spoke with FOX 4, is an example of this reality.

Tate is the CEO of The Family Place, one of the largest domestic violence service organizations in North Texas. However, she shares her story not just as a CEO, but as someone who has experienced the need for support herself.

“I wanted to come on today to talk about my experience with narcissistic abuse as the leader of a domestic violence services program. I think it’s important that we share our story so that we can help others,” said Tate.

She described how narcissistic behavior led her to question her own reality. “You question your sanity a lot because of the behavior of the narcissist,” she said. “Are my feelings real? Are my emotions real?”

Her feelings were not fear or anger, but doubt.

“Narcissists are generally very engaging people publicly. They are well liked by community members in general, because they have a way to mask their behaviors,” said Tate. When others believe them, it can lead to a loss of self-belief.

“I knew that something was wrong about four years in, but it took an additional, really, four to five years to say, ‘Okay, I’m done.’ And that decision was immediate,” she said.

For a long time, society has recognized only one kind of pain. However, pain does not always leave marks, and not everyone is ready to leave.

“I don’t necessarily see it as brave at this point. I feel and have felt a lot of shame around being in this position and doing the work that I do,” said Tate. Bravery does not always feel brave, especially during the healing process.

“You’re safe. This is a safe space for you. We are here to support you. We tell them that there’s no timeline on their healing,” she added.

Sometimes, the most powerful words are the simplest. “The biggest thing I wish I’d heard was, ‘No, you’re not crazy,’” Tate said, noting that she might have trusted herself sooner if she had heard those words earlier.

She shared a touching moment with her children: “My kids started saying, like, ‘You’re laughing, like I hear you laughing.’ And that was just so heartwarming to them, because they hadn’t heard that for so long, and I didn’t realize that that’s what they were experiencing,” said Tate.

For Tiffany Tate and anyone who sees themselves in her story, she emphasized that her children made the journey worthwhile in the end.