Who Are We?
We are a non-profit coalition of researchers, mental health professionals, survivors, and families affected by psychopathy. Our mission is to offer support, share knowledge, and connect those impacted by this disorder.
What We Offer
Our Mission
The Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy is dedicated to raising awareness about and reducing the negative impact of individuals with psychopathic traits.
Our Vision
We envision a future with less harm from psychopathy—where greater awareness leads to better prevention, treatment, and support for victims, families, and those with psychopathic traits.
What We’ve Learned
What is psychopathy?
Psychopathy is a personality disorder signified by a pattern of lying, exploitation of others, recklessness, arrogance, sexual promiscuity, low self-control, and lack of empathy for others. Individuals with psychopathic traits appear to lack social emotions (love, empathy, guilt, and remorse).
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How Do Psychopathic Traits Harm Romantic Relationships Over Time?
Summary by Rachel A Plouffe, PhD Background Psychologists have consistently found that psychopathic traits are linked to negative experiences in romantic relationships. Partners of individuals high in these traits often report higher levels of infidelity, emotional and physical abuse, and psychological distress, alongside lower relationship satisfaction. Despite decades of research, a key question remains: do…
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Surviving Psychopathy, a Mini-Conference
We are hosting a mini-conference, Surviving Psychopathy, to celebrate our 20th anniversary. The conference will present knowledge about the impact of people with psychopathy on others and insights into factors that have helped people who were in relationships with psychopathic individuals. Speakers will include Dr. Adelle Forth who has conducted extensive research on the impact…
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Please share your feedback with us
We want your feedback. We have created a short survey to assess how helpful our website and our foundation are for people who visit our website. It takes only a few minutes. To take the survey, please click on this link. All information will be kept private unless you indicate you want us to share…
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Podcast about Psychopathy and Love Bombing, Gaslighting, and Other Red Flags
Dr. David Kosson recently participated in a podcast with Nicolas Vaca, which is available on Spotify as Untold by Nicolas Vaca. He and Nico discussed some warning signs that a potential relationship partner is acting in ways that resemble the ways people with psychopathy tend to behave, and the valuable role that friends and family…
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2025 Aftermath Foundation Media Award Winner: Maia Szalavitz
Ms. Maia Szalavitz has won the 2025 Media Award for her article, Can psychopathy be cured? New treatments help to reduce callous and unemotional traits in children, guiding them toward productive lives in Scientific American. This award is given to a work in print or in other forms of media that serves to educate the public…
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Aftermath Radio – alternative links to podcasts
Because the part of our website that usually provides some of the Aftermath Radio episodes is currently not working, we are providing links to those episodes here. We hope these links work for you. Always feel free to contact us at aftermathfoundationhelp@gmail.com to report any website issues. Season 1: Episode 1: Premiere – Radio…
About Aftermath
Founded in 2006 by Dr. David Kosson, Aftermath: Surviving Psychopathy began as a collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and survivors to support those affected by psychopathy. With support from Drs. Robert Hare and Paul Babiak, the website launched in 2008 as a space for education, connection, and healing.
How can I get involved?
If you have time and energy and you wish to become an Aftermath volunteer, please email Dr. Kosson at aftermathfoundationhelp@gmail.com
