Vikki Stark says Belle Burden’s story fits a pattern of sudden wife abandonment

Family therapist and author Vikki Stark says Belle Burden’s marital breakup in Strangers reflects a broader pattern she calls Wife Abandonment Syndrome. Stark is using her research, books and support groups to guide women facing the shock of husbands who leave without warning.

Why it matters: - Stark says the experience Burden describes is not an isolated case. - The issue affects women who believed they were in stable marriages and then faced sudden abandonment. - Stark frames the problem as a trauma that can leave women confused, isolated and struggling to recover.

What happened: - Vikki Stark responded to the public attention around Belle Burden’s book Strangers with a Psychology Today article titled "What Happened to Belle Burden in Strangers Has a Name." - Stark says Burden’s story matches what she calls Wife Abandonment Syndrome. - The pattern involves husbands abruptly leaving marriages with little warning or explanation. - Stark says she experienced the same kind of abandonment in her own marriage.

The details: - Stark is a family therapist and bestselling author of Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewal. - Stark says she researched the phenomenon after her own marriage ended suddenly. - That work led to a book and an international support community for women dealing with the aftermath. - Stark says the community has helped thousands of women process grief, rebuild identity and move forward. - Stark says her writing, clinical work and support groups are designed to give women validation and a path ahead. - Readers of Runaway Husbands describe the book as useful during sudden marital breakups. - One reader, Paige, said the book helped her understand the emotional chaos after her marriage ended without warning and showed her she was not alone. - Stark’s book has sold more than 38,000 copies. - Stark also writes the Psychology Today blog Schlepping Through Heartbreak, which has drawn more than four million views. - Stark is an internationally recognized psychotherapist and a leading authority on Wife Abandonment Syndrome. - She graduated from Barnard College and New York University. - Stark has spent more than four decades helping individuals and families with relationship challenges. - In Montreal, Stark founded the Montreal Family Center and the Sedona Center of Montreal. - Stark served as Global Television’s in-house family therapist for eight years. - Stark offers workshops, retreats and online support groups through her website. - Stark can be contacted by phone at (514) 979-8007 and by email at vikki@runawayhusbands.com. - More information is available on the company’s website.

Between the lines: - Stark is positioning a private marital crisis as a recognizable emotional pattern with a name and a support network. - The framing may resonate with readers who feel blindsided by relationship loss and are looking for language to describe it. - The publicity around Burden’s book also gives Stark a platform to reintroduce her own work and message.

What's next: - Stark says she will continue offering interviews, support and resources for women affected by sudden wife abandonment. - Her website, workshops and online groups remain the main channels for women seeking help. - Stark’s broader message is that recovery is possible, even after a marriage ends without warning.