Menopause is often framed as a breakdown, but what if it’s actually a breakthrough? In this episode, we dive deep into how the hormonal shifts of midlife don’t create problems; they reveal them.

We explore how menopause strips away the “people-pleasing filter,” resurfaces childhood survival roles like caretaker or peacemaker, and forces women to confront toxic family dynamics they may have tolerated for years.

Our guest, That Menopause Guy, shares his personal story of growing up with an abusive father and how his healing journey gave him insight into the survival patterns many midlife women carry: fawning, freezing, and chronic over-functioning. We also talk about the painful parallels between medical dismissal and narcissistic abuse, and how invalidation from doctors can retraumatize women who’ve already lived through toxic family systems.

By the end of this episode, you will see why menopause is less about losing yourself and more about finally recognizing yourself clearly. You will learn why old patterns rise up in midlife, how to stop repeating them, and what steps you can take to start setting boundaries and creating emotional freedom.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🍏 Why menopause isn’t a breakdown—it’s a clarifying awakening.

🍏How childhood trauma roles resurface in midlife and what to do about them.

🍏The ways menopause acts as a mirror, making it impossible to ignore red flags.

🍏How growing up in toxicity shapes communication, boundaries, and self-worth.

🍏The deep parallel between medical dismissal and narcissistic invalidation.

🍏Why women feel like they’re “seeing themselves clearly” for the first time.

🍏Practical first steps to break free from old survival patterns.

Ali Farhat | Women’s Weight Loss & Hormone Specialist

Certified Menopause Wellbeing Practitioner | Certified Women's Holistic Hormone Practitioner | B.S. in Kinesiology

Ali Farhat is a certified women's hormone practitioner and weight loss coach with nearly a decade of experience helping women transform their bodies and reclaim their health. But his mission took a powerful turn four years ago, when his own mother began experiencing menopause symptoms and was quickly dismissed by her doctor, misdiagnosed with depression and anxiety, and left without real solutions.

Seeing how the system failed her opened Ali’s eyes to a silent epidemic: women in menopause being ignored, misinformed, and told to “just deal with it.” That moment lit a fire in him, to become the kind of practitioner women actually need.

Now, Ali specializes in helping women in perimenopause and menopause lose stubborn weight, eliminate symptoms, and finally get the answers they’ve been searching for. He combines functional lab testing, individualized hormone support, nutrition, and fitness to create true, lasting transformations.

But more than that, Ali is leading a movement: to show that there are good men out there who genuinely want to help women thrive. In a space where male voices can be met with skepticism, Ali is breaking the mold, not by telling women what to do, but by listening, empowering, and offering real solutions with deep respect.

Known online as That Menopause Guy, Ali is changing the game by making midlife health feel empowering, not defeating. Whether it’s through his popular online programs, viral social media content, or in-person events, Ali’s bold yet deeply compassionate coaching style resonates with women who are tired of being dismissed by mainstream medicine and are ready for a real solution.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sherrie sits down with Bridgette to explore what it means to transform toxic family patterns and step into the role of a sacred ancestor. Drawing from Bowen’s Family Systems theory, genograms, attachment work, and experiential psychotherapy, Bridgette offers a path toward breaking cycles, healing shame, and creating freedom for future generations.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

🍏 What it means to become a sacred ancestor and why mapping family systems can uncover hidden generational traumas and roles

🍏 How to separate the “survival self” you had to be in your family from the authentic self you’re becoming

🍏 Why the gilded cage metaphor explains how family systems can look good on the outside while keeping you trapped inside

🍏 Practical ways to begin reparenting your inner child and healing deep attachment wounds

🍏 How reparenting creates safety and reduces shame for survivors of toxic families

🍏 Why grieving childhood and parental relationships is essential for healing, and how corrective emotional experiences make space for authentic living

🍏 The first step you can take today to set yourself free and begin breaking generational cycles

Brigitte Marquette is a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor. In her private practice, Gilded Cage Counselling, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Brigitte supports her clients to gain insights into the family system they grew up in, heal attachment wounding, and show up in the world in a way that is authentic and meaningful to them. When exploring unhealthy family systems through a family systems and transpersonal psychological lens, we can discover embracing being a sacred ancestor as opposed to a dutiful descendant.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

https://betterhelp.com/drsherrie

BetterHelp, founded in 2013, is the world’s largest online therapy platform, offering accessible, affordable, and personalized mental health care.

—

Hiya

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 [Book] I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - https://www.amazon.com/Know-Why-Caged-Bird-Sings/dp/0345514408

CONNECT WITH BRIGITTE:

📌 Website: https://gildedcagecounselling.com/

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gildedcagecounselling/

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut. - https://amzn.to/3L3sMuA

⚉ But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath - https://amzn.to/3tuNQEn

⚉ Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for

In this deeply resonant episode of Sherapy Sessions, Dr. Sherrie Campbell welcomes Tamarin Michel, a clinical psychologist turned holistic healer, to explore the profound impact of toxic family dynamics, navigating complex in-law situations, and the transformative potential of somatic healing and inner child work.

Topics include:

🍏 the power of somatic healing

🍏 how we hold trauma in our bodies

🍏 family dynamics are the common denominator in the creation of trauma

🍏 why reparenting ourselves is important

🍏 why setting boundaries is the path to your personal freedom

🍏 the profound value of developing the self-control to not engage in emotional games

🍏 the challenges in dealing with invasive in-laws

🍏 strategies to maintain emotional distance

Tamarin Michel is the founder of EmpowHER Healing, where she integrates clinical psychology with spirituality to offer a holistic approach to healing. Holding a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, she has a background in private practice in Los Angeles before relocating to Sydney, Australia.

Tamarin’s unique journey spans from working in Beverly Hills clinics to facilitating retreats in Bali, blending clinical expertise with intuitive energy work. She is dedicated to guiding individuals toward reclaiming their personal power, healing generational trauma, and embodying lasting peace and purpose.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

https://betterhelp.com/drsherrie

BetterHelp, founded in 2013, is the world’s largest online therapy platform, offering accessible, affordable, and personalized mental health care.

—

Hiya

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 [Book] The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship by Don Miguel Ruiz - https://www.amazon.com/Mastery-Love-Practical-Relationship-Toltec/dp/1878424424

CONNECT WITH TAMARIN:

📌 Website: https://www.empowherhealing.com/

📌 Email: tamarin@empowherhealing.com

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowherhealing/

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut. - https://amzn.to/3L3sMuA

⚉ But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath - https://amzn.to/3tuNQEn

⚉ Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for Dealing with Toxic People While Empowering Yourself - https://amzn.to/3JBql1R

⚉ Success Equations: A Path to Living an Emotionally Wealthy Life - https://amzn.to/3uobd1u

⚉ Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person - https://amzn.to/36mlXp5...

In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Sherrie sits down with Chantal Contorines to unpack the hidden realities of parenting with or after a relationship with a narcissist. Chantal brings deep wisdom, compassion, and clarity to one of the most complicated and painful dynamics families face today.

What we cover:

🍏 What led Chantal to specialize in narcissistic abuse and parenting after trauma

🍏 Why “co-parenting” with a narcissist isn’t actually co-parenting—and what to do instead

🍏 How humor and sarcasm can be used as tools of cruelty and control

🍏 The biggest myths society pushes about healing, forgiveness, and staying in toxic family dynamics

🍏 What someone should do when they first realize they might be dealing with a narcissist

🍏 Why narcissists care more about looking like good parents than actually being good parents

🍏 How Chantal balances her role as both educator and emotional support for survivors online

🍏 Subtle red flags of narcissistic behavior in early parenting dynamics

🍏 How to rebuild trust in yourself after long-term gaslighting and emotional abuse

🍏 A message of hope for any parent feeling guilt or self-doubt after leaving an abusive situation

Chantal Contorines is a coercive control "co-parenting" coach who helps protective parents learn to navigate the post separation abuse that they and their children experience.

She works privately with clients, has monthly masterclasses, "The Coercive Control Co-Parenting Collective" and a podcast, The Survivor's Playbook.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

https://betterhelp.com/drsherrie

BetterHelp, founded in 2013, is the world’s largest online therapy platform, offering accessible, affordable, and personalized mental health care.

—

Hiya

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 [App] Our Family Wizard - https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/

CONNECT WITH CHANTAL:

📌 Website: https://chantalcontorinescoaching.com/

📌 Email: chantal@chantalcontorines.com

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chantal.contorines.coaching/

📌 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chantal.contorines.coaching/

📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chantal-contorines-311b3346/

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut. - https://amzn.to/3L3sMuA

⚉ But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath - https://amzn.to/3tuNQEn

⚉ Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for Dealing with Toxic People While Empowering Yourself -...

So many of us spend years, sometimes a lifetime, chasing love, validation, or approval from family members who will never give it.

In this episode, we talk about how to see the pattern for what it is, why it’s so hard to stop, and what it really takes to walk away from the chase.

In this episode, we will cover:

🍏 Why we keep returning to toxic or emotionally unavailable relatives, even when we know it hurts

🍏The signs you’re stuck in a cycle of seeking approval that will never come.

🍏The first steps to break free from this exhausting pattern

🍏How to navigate the guilt, grief, and pushback that can come with setting boundaries

🍏Healthy ways to meet your emotional needs without family validation

🍏The most freeing truth about letting go of the love you’ll never get

Jacqueline Hurst is the UK's leading Life Coach. She is also a specialist in Advanced Structured Hypnotherapy and a Master NLP Practitioner. She has over 15 years of experience and has worked with over 5,000 clients. With many tools in her box, she uses a unique, specialized, and highly sophisticated technique to help clients drop their negative thoughts and behaviors, to get past their own limitations, and achieve a life they love.

Jacqueline is GQ Magazine's resident therapist and is regularly featured in the media as an expert in her field including The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Harpers Baazar, The Times, Easy Living Magazine, The Daily Mail, BBC London Radio, Talk Radio, and the Oprah Winfrey Network. She has also worked alongside major brands including Clinique, Eve Lom, Space NK, Sweaty Betty, Lulu Lemon, and Bank of America.

She works with clients 1:1 by phone, Skype, or in person at her office in Mayfair in London. She also works with clients who bring her to their home country for a day, 3 days, or 5 days.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

https://betterhelp.com/drsherrie

BetterHelp, founded in 2013, is the world’s largest online therapy platform, offering accessible, affordable, and personalized mental health care.

—

Hiya

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 Lucille Ball - https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/lucille-ball

📌 ThinkUp App - https://thinkup.me/

CONNECT WITH JACQUELINE:

📌 Personal Website: https://www.jacquelinehurst.com/

📌 Business Website: https://www.thelifeclass.com/

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Jacqueline_hurst_/

📌 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhurstcoaching

📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-hurst-83a35628/

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain...

Have you ever felt like no matter what you did, it was never enough for your family?

Have you carried the heavy burden of criticism, manipulation, or indifference, always trying to fix what you didn’t break, always hoping that one day your love would be enough to change them?

Many survivors of toxic family dynamics wrestle with this painful reality, often staying far longer than they should out of guilt, duty, or the desperate hope that things might improve.

🌿 Passive-aggressive, overly critical mother

🌿Passive toxic father

🌿Divided sibling relationships

🌿Knowing when enough is enough

🌿Stopping one-sided efforts at repair

🌿Cutting ties

🌿The shattering stage of grief and why it’s the hardest

🌿Healing is only possible once ties have been cut

🌿Embracing feelings of relief and freedom in the aftermath of cutting ties

Amy Kline is a survivor of toxic family dynamics who found the strength to break free after years of enduring gaslighting, manipulation, and criticism. A devoted wife and mother of three daughters, she has committed herself to breaking the cycle of abuse and modeling healthy boundaries for the next generation.

For nearly seven years, Amy has followed Dr. Sherrie Campbell’s work, crediting her books and teachings with helping her recognize abuse, trust her instincts, and ultimately choose freedom. Today, she shares her story with honesty and optimism, offering hope and encouragement to others navigating the painful but liberating path of cutting toxic family ties.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

https://betterhelp.com/drsherrie

BetterHelp, founded in 2013, is the world’s largest online therapy platform, offering accessible, affordable, and personalized mental health care.

—

Hiya

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 [Film] Lady Bird - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Bird_(film)

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut. - https://amzn.to/3L3sMuA

⚉ But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath - https://amzn.to/3tuNQEn

⚉ Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for Dealing with Toxic People While Empowering Yourself - https://amzn.to/3JBql1R

⚉ Success Equations: A Path to Living an Emotionally Wealthy Life - https://amzn.to/3uobd1u

⚉ Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person - https://amzn.to/36mlXp5

CONNECT WITH DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Website: https://drsherriecampbell.com/

⚉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrieCampbellPhD

Check...

Living someone else’s script—performing the role your family assigned while quietly losing touch with who you are—makes the shift to authenticity not just an emotional transformation but a full-body reckoning.

This episode explores the fall from “golden child” to scapegoat, the link between unresolved trauma and chronic illness, and how reclaiming authenticity fosters true mental, physical, and spiritual healing.

🌿 What is mind-body healing?

🌿How our physical bodies alert us to dysfunction through illness or pain

🌿The power of family roles we are chosen for by no choice of our own

🌿The treacherous fall from the Golden Child Role to that of the Family Scapegoat

🌿How to find and live as your authentic self

🌿How and why the journey into authenticity cannot be defined by anyone other than you

Lauren Smallcomb is a Mind-Body Practitioner and co-owner of Flourish Therapy. Her journey as a healer began at 20 when she became a registered nurse, dedicating a decade to caring for patients in the ER. She later expanded her expertise to become a birth doula and, eventually, a nutritional therapist. In 2020, after making the difficult decision to walk away from a dysfunctional family system, Lauren embarked on a transformative process of rebuilding her mind and body through brain retraining and trauma healing. This journey inspired her to become a certified Mind-Body Practitioner. The newfound sense of empowerment prompted Lauren and her therapist husband to establish Flourish Therapy, with the purpose of helping others heal and thrive after childhood trauma. Born and raised in upstate New York, they now make their home in Northern Thailand with their children, two dogs, and a cat.

*****

Episode Sponsors:

Betterhelp

Going to therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. My sponsor BetterHelp makes therapy simple, with 10% off your first month to help you get started:

https://betterhelp.com/drsherrie

BetterHelp, founded in 2013, is the world’s largest online therapy platform, offering accessible, affordable, and personalized mental health care.

+++++

Hiya

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 [Book] Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover - https://www.amazon.com/Educated-Memoir-Tara-Westover/dp/0399590501

📌 [Book] Golden Child: My Descent to Scapegoat and Rise to Freedom by Lauren Smallcomb - https://flourishtherapy.kartra.com/page/goldenchild#_95sz30uj4

📌 [Book] The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. - https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748/

CONNECT WITH LAUREN:

📌 Website: https://flourishtherapy.kartra.com/page/goldenchild

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flourish_therapy/

📌 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeandLaurenSmallcomb

📌 Substack: https://substack.com/@laurensmallcomb

📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-smallcomb-5b5545355/

📌 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flourish_therapy

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate...

Have you ever felt like you're living in someone else’s life script—following invisible rules, walking on emotional eggshells, and carrying pain that doesn’t fully belong to you?

Do you wonder why, even after cutting contact, your toxic family still seems to echo in your mind, body, or choices?

Survivors of enmeshed, narcissistic, or otherwise toxic family systems often live in what Jerry Wise brilliantly calls “the family trance”—a psychological and emotional programming that conditions our perception, keeps us loyal to dysfunction, and disconnects us from our true selves.

In this episode, let’s explore the core dynamics that keep us bound: family trance, self-differentiation, enmeshment, the misunderstood role of the “identified patient,” and the trauma of awakening.

🌿The Super Self of the Toxic Family System

🌿 Unpacking what it means to be in the “Family Trance”

🌿 Enmeshment creates a lack of connection, just as distance creates a lack of connection.

🌿What Jerry means by “self differentiation”

🌿 Whether our relationships with our families are in contact or no contact there is always still a connection

🌿 We cannot use an “other-centered focus” to change our family

🌿 Being centered on healing yourself is not selfish

🌿 Enmeshment is not closeness.

🌿 How to start “Self Differentiating”

Jerry T. Wise, MA, MS, CLC, is a renowned family-systems expert and self-differentiation coach with over 45 years of experience as a marriage & family therapist, addictions therapist, pastoral counselor, and certified life/relationship coach. He’s helped thousands of clients across 110+ countries, reaching millions online as he guides survivors of narcissistic, dysfunctional, or emotionally immature families to reclaim their authentic selves—cultivating resilience, confidence, and calm.

His signature “Road to Self” program, along with hundreds of free videos and trainings, focuses on healing through boundary-setting, emotional detachment, and reducing reactivity, helping individuals break free from lifelong patterns.

*****

Episode Sponsor:

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 [Book] People of the Lie: The Hope for Healing Human Evil by M. Scott Peck - https://www.amazon.com/People-Lie-Hope-Healing-Human/dp/0684848597

📌 [Book] Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther Perel - https://www.amazon.com/Mating-Captivity-Unlocking-Erotic-Intelligence/dp/0060753641

CONNECT WITH JERRY:

📌 Website: https://www.jerrywiserelationshipsystems.com/

📌 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jerrywise

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jerrytwise/

📌 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JerryTWise/

📌 Twitter: https://www.tiktok.com/@jerrytwise

📌 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrytwise/

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE:

⚉ Adult