This episode tells the story of Thomas, a survivor who went no contact with his abusive father after a public meltdown at his wedding, and how the world around him quietly blames him for the relationship he didn’t break. From well-meaning coworkers saying “all families have stuff,” to relatives insisting “you’ll have to let it go,” Patrick explores why the burden to forgive and reconnect so often falls on the person who was hurt, not the person who caused the harm.Learn how survivors like Thomas are pressured to “be the bigger person,” while abusers avoid accountability, and how to stop carrying that emotional labor yourself.Topics include:<ul><li>Why abusive parents are rarely held accountable</li><li>How relatives and in-laws minimize harm to “keep the peace”</li><li>The shame, guilt, and invisibility survivors feel when going no contact</li><li>The hidden motives behind advice like “just forgive”</li><li>How to flip the script and protect your peace</li></ul>If you’ve ever been told to reconcile with someone who never took responsibility for the pain they caused, this episode offers validation, and a new way forward.Keywords: family estrangement, toxic parents, no contact healing, emotional abuse recovery, accountability, narcissistic parent, trauma recovery, boundaries, forgiveness pressure, inner child healing<a href='https://www.Nokidhungry.org'>Nearly 16M kids have lost grocery benefits. Help them get the meals they need!</a><a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'>Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This episode tells the story of Thomas, a survivor who went no contact with his abusive father after a public meltdown at his wedding, and how the world around him quietly blames him for the relationship he didn’t break.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; From well-meaning coworkers saying “all families have stuff,” to relatives insisting “you’ll have to let it go,” Patrick explores why the burden to forgive and reconnect so often falls on the person who was hurt, not the person who caused the harm.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn how survivors like Thomas are pressured to “be the bigger person,” while abusers avoid accountability, and how to stop carrying that emotional labor yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Topics include:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why abusive parents are rarely held accountable&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How relatives and in-laws minimize harm to “keep the peace”&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The shame, guilt, and invisibility survivors feel when going no contact&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The hidden motives behind advice like “just forgive”&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How to flip the script and protect your peace&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you’ve ever been told to reconcile with someone who never took responsibility for the pain they caused, this episode offers validation, and a new way forward.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Keywords:&lt;/b&gt; family estrangement, toxic parents, no contact healing, emotional abuse recovery, accountability, narcissistic parent, trauma recovery, boundaries, forgiveness pressure, inner child healing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.Nokidhungry.org'&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nearly 16M kids have lost grocery benefits.&lt;br/&gt;Help them get the meals they need!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'&gt;Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This episode tells the story of Thomas, a survivor who went no contact with his abusive father after a public meltdown at his wedding, and how the world around him quietly blames him for the relationship he didn’t break.  From well-meaning coworkers saying “all families have stuff,” to relatives insisting “you’ll have to let it go,” Patrick explores why the burden to forgive and reconnect so often falls on the person who was hurt, not the person who caused the harm. Learn how survivors l...

Why Are Victims Expected to Do All the Work?

This episode explores how growing up with a toxic or emotionally unavailable mother can shape a daughter’s sense of worth, identity, and boundaries, and how to finally break free.Rather than focusing on blame, Patrick unpacks the lasting emotional damage that daughters carry into adulthood and the path toward self-trust and emotional independence.Learn why patterns like people-pleasing, guilt, and over-responsibility aren’t flaws, they’re survival strategies that once kept you safe. Through stories, insights, and tools, Patrick guides you toward seeing your story with compassion and clarity.Topics include:<ul><li>How toxic maternal behavior damages self-perception</li><li>The “good daughter” role and its emotional consequences</li><li>Guilt, shame, and the confusion between love and obligation</li><li>Reparenting yourself and building healthy emotional boundaries</li><li>Reclaiming confidence and connection without losing yourself</li></ul>You’ll leave this episode with practical tools to stop carrying emotional responsibility for others, repair your self-image, and begin building the safety your mother couldn’t provide.Keywords: toxic mother, mother-daughter trauma, emotional abuse, inner child healing, childhood trauma recovery, boundaries, reparenting, self-worth repair, codependency, healing tools, family roles, emotional neglect <a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'>Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;This episode explores how growing up with a toxic or emotionally unavailable mother can shape a daughter’s sense of worth, identity, and boundaries, and how to finally break free.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rather than focusing on blame, Patrick unpacks the lasting emotional damage that daughters carry into adulthood and the path toward self-trust and emotional independence.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn why patterns like people-pleasing, guilt, and over-responsibility aren’t flaws, they’re survival strategies that once kept you safe. Through stories, insights, and tools, Patrick guides you toward seeing your story with compassion and clarity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Topics include:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How toxic maternal behavior damages self-perception&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The “good daughter” role and its emotional consequences&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Guilt, shame, and the confusion between love and obligation&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Reparenting yourself and building healthy emotional boundaries&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Reclaiming confidence and connection without losing yourself&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;You’ll leave this episode with practical tools to stop carrying emotional responsibility for others, repair your self-image, and begin building the safety your mother couldn’t provide.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Keywords:&lt;/b&gt; toxic mother, mother-daughter trauma, emotional abuse, inner child healing, childhood trauma recovery, boundaries, reparenting, self-worth repair, codependency, healing tools, family roles, emotional neglect &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'&gt;Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This episode explores how growing up with a toxic or emotionally unavailable mother can shape a daughter’s sense of worth, identity, and boundaries, and how to finally break free. Rather than focusing on blame, Patrick unpacks the lasting emotional damage that daughters carry into adulthood and the path toward self-trust and emotional independence. Learn why patterns like people-pleasing, guilt, and over-responsibility aren’t flaws, they’re survival strategies that once kept you safe. Through...

Toxic Mothers and the Impact on Daughters

This episode explores how growing up with a narcissistic or emotionally immature parent can distort your perception of yourself, others, and your worth, and how to reclaim it. Instead of fixating on the parent, we look at the damage that lingers and the path to undo it.Learn why triggers around work, relationships, and self-doubt aren’t personality flaws—they&apos;re leftover survival responses from childhood. Patrick shares vulnerable personal stories about being cast as “the dumb one” and how those old narratives showed up in adulthood, even during success.Topics include:<ul><li>How narcissistic parents damage a child’s perception</li><li>The impact on self-worth, identity, and intimacy</li><li>Hypervigilance, projection, and feeling “in trouble” for existing</li><li>Three powerful recovery tools:<ul><li>Protecting your inner child</li><li>Writing a truth statement</li><li>Giving back what was never yours to carry</li></ul></li></ul>You’ll walk away with practical exercises to shift perception, stop living in fear, and reclaim a sense of self that was always yours.-----------------------------Workbook Chapters 1 — How to Get Your Inner Adult in Place … 12 2 — The Built-In Forgetter (Codependency) … 27 3 — Honoring Our Trauma Responses &amp; Coping Strategies … 38 4 — Overcoming Magical Thinking … 51 5 — The Feeling of Being &quot;In Trouble&quot;… 63 6 — How to Stop Anticipating Criticism … 74 7 — Childhood Trauma &amp; Physical Energy Issues … 84 8 — Depression Related to Childhood Trauma … 97 9 — Processing Childhood Emotional Neglect        (The Things That Didn’t Happen)… 107 10 - Processing Childhood Enmeshment with an        Emotionally Immature Parent …118 11 - Processing Childhood Trauma-Related Grief … 131 12 - Processing Guilt: Recognizing the Family History       Before Low or No Contact … 143 13 - How to Recover from a Narcissistic Parent … 153 Journal Prompts Journal Prompt #1: How did self-worth get twisted? How did your narcissistic parent create damage around your self-worth and how you perceive yourself? Write a list of ten experiences about lost self-worth due to that parent. Examples That Christmas when my mother made me stand up in front of the entire extended family while she berated me about why I didn’t get any gifts. My father would take any achievement I had and one-up me. I gave up on having self-worth because he was the focus. Journal Prompt #2: Who did they say you are? Write several paragraphs about your struggle with a healthy sense of self and how the narcissistic parent contributed to a poor sense of self. Who did your parents say you were, either through protection, neglect, or supply? Example I’ve always guessed at what I like or who I am. My mother had these twisted ideas, or fantasies, that I was going to become an entrepreneur and live a fabulous life in support of her. Did I want that? What even is that? What I know now is if she had a child who was a rich genius, she could have supply and validation—she could tell her friends she raised an entrepreneur. Of course I don’t know who I am.<a href='https://Patrickteahan.com/workbook'>Access the workbook here</a>Patrickteahan.com/workbookKeywords: narcissistic parent recovery, childhood trauma, perception wounds, inner child healing, self-worth repair, intimacy triggers, emotional abuse healing, trauma recovery tools<a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'>Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This episode explores how growing up with a narcissistic or emotionally immature parent can distort your perception of yourself, others, and your worth, and how to reclaim it. Instead of fixating on the parent, we look at the damage that lingers and the path to undo it.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn why triggers around work, relationships, and self-doubt aren’t personality flaws—they&amp;apos;re leftover survival responses from childhood. Patrick shares vulnerable personal stories about being cast as “the dumb one” and how those old narratives showed up in adulthood, even during success.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Topics include:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How narcissistic parents damage a child’s perception&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The impact on self-worth, identity, and intimacy&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Hypervigilance, projection, and feeling “in trouble” for existing&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Three powerful recovery tools:&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Protecting your inner child&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Writing a truth statement&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Giving back what was never yours to carry&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;You’ll walk away with practical exercises to shift perception, stop living in fear, and reclaim a sense of self that was always yours.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;-----------------------------&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Workbook Chapters&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;1 — How to Get Your Inner Adult in Place … 12&lt;br/&gt;2 — The Built-In Forgetter (Codependency) … 27&lt;br/&gt;3 — Honoring Our Trauma Responses &amp;amp; Coping Strategies … 38&lt;br/&gt;4 — Overcoming Magical Thinking … 51&lt;br/&gt;5 — The Feeling of Being &amp;quot;In Trouble&amp;quot;… 63&lt;br/&gt;6 — How to Stop Anticipating Criticism … 74&lt;br/&gt;7 — Childhood Trauma &amp;amp; Physical Energy Issues … 84&lt;br/&gt;8 — Depression Related to Childhood Trauma … 97&lt;br/&gt;9 — Processing Childhood Emotional Neglect &lt;br/&gt;       (The Things That Didn’t Happen)… 107&lt;br/&gt;10 - Processing Childhood Enmeshment with an &lt;br/&gt;       Emotionally Immature Parent …118&lt;br/&gt;11 - Processing Childhood Trauma-Related Grief … 131&lt;br/&gt;12 - Processing Guilt: Recognizing the Family History &lt;br/&gt;      Before Low or No Contact … 143&lt;br/&gt;13 - How to Recover from a Narcissistic Parent … 153&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Journal Prompts&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Journal Prompt #1: How did self-worth get twisted?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;How did your narcissistic parent create damage around your self-worth and how you perceive yourself?&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Write a list of ten experiences about lost self-worth due to that parent.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Examples&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;That Christmas when my mother made me stand up in front of the entire extended family while she berated me about why I didn’t get any gifts.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;My father would take any achievement I had and one-up me. I gave up on having self-worth because he was the focus.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Journal Prompt #2: Who did they say you are?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Write several paragraphs about your struggle with a healthy sense of self and how the narcissistic parent contributed to a poor sense of self. Who did your parents say you were, either through protection, neglect, or supply?&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Example&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I’ve always guessed at what I like or who I am. My mother had these twisted ideas, or fantasies, that I was going to become an entrepreneur and live a fabulous life in support of her. Did I want that? What even is that? What I know now is if she had a child who was a rich genius, she could have supply and validation—she could tell her friends she raised an entrepreneur. Of course I don’t know who I am.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://Patrickteahan.com/workbook'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Access the workbook here&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Patrickteahan.com/workbook&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Keywords:&lt;/b&gt; narcissistic parent recovery, childhood trauma, perception wounds, inner child healing, self-worth repair, intimacy triggers, emotional abuse healing, trauma recovery tools&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'&gt;Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This episode explores how growing up with a narcissistic or emotionally immature parent can distort your perception of yourself, others, and your worth, and how to reclaim it. Instead of fixating on the parent, we look at the damage that lingers and the path to undo it. Learn why triggers around work, relationships, and self-doubt aren’t personality flaws—they're leftover survival responses from childhood. Patrick shares vulnerable personal stories about being cast as “the dumb one” and how t...

Breaking Free From a Narcissistic Parent

This episode dives into the ways childhood trauma shows up in daily triggers—and how to break free from them faster. Learn how your past shapes present reactions and discover practical tools to release the emotional charge that keeps you stuck.Topics include:<ul><li>Understanding how triggers connect past and present</li><li>Four actionable tools for regulating emotional triggers</li><li>Healing practices for body and mind</li><li>Reclaiming your time, energy, and creativity from trauma</li></ul>Join us for an empowering conversation on building resilience, calming your nervous system, and supporting your inner child.Keywords: Childhood trauma, emotional triggers, healing tools, inner child work, trauma recovery, nervous system regulation<a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'>Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;This episode dives into the ways childhood trauma shows up in daily triggers—and how to break free from them faster. Learn how your past shapes present reactions and discover practical tools to release the emotional charge that keeps you stuck.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Topics include:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Understanding how triggers connect past and present&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Four actionable tools for regulating emotional triggers&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Healing practices for body and mind&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Reclaiming your time, energy, and creativity from trauma&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us for an empowering conversation on building resilience, calming your nervous system, and supporting your inner child.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Keywords:&lt;/b&gt; Childhood trauma, emotional triggers, healing tools, inner child work, trauma recovery, nervous system regulation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'&gt;Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This episode dives into the ways childhood trauma shows up in daily triggers—and how to break free from them faster. Learn how your past shapes present reactions and discover practical tools to release the emotional charge that keeps you stuck. Topics include: Understanding how triggers connect past and presentFour actionable tools for regulating emotional triggersHealing practices for body and mindReclaiming your time, energy, and creativity from traumaJoin us for an empowering conversation ...

4 Tools to Fix Triggers

This episode explores the ways childhood trauma survivors often feel left out in friendships and social situations, and how those early family patterns show up in adult connections.Topics include:<ul><li>Struggling to “jump in” during conversations</li><li>Starting friendships but pulling away quickly</li><li>Feeling “too much” or too intense for others</li><li>How family modeling shapes social shame</li><li>Inner child work and dialoguing prompts for healing</li></ul>Join us for an honest, compassionate conversation on finding belonging and becoming more comfortable in your own skin.Keywords: childhood trauma, social anxiety, inner child healing, friendships, boundaries, CPTSD, feeling excluded, self-worth.<a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'>Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This episode explores the ways childhood trauma survivors often feel left out in friendships and social situations, and how those early family patterns show up in adult connections.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Topics include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Struggling to “jump in” during conversations&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Starting friendships but pulling away quickly&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Feeling “too much” or too intense for others&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How family modeling shapes social shame&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Inner child work and dialoguing prompts for healing&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join us for an honest, compassionate conversation on finding belonging and becoming more comfortable in your own skin.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Keywords:&lt;/b&gt; childhood trauma, social anxiety, inner child healing, friendships, boundaries, CPTSD, feeling excluded, self-worth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/'&gt;Join the Monthly Healing Community Membership&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This episode explores the ways childhood trauma survivors often feel left out in friendships and social situations, and how those early family patterns show up in adult connections. Topics include: Struggling to “jump in” during conversationsStarting friendships but pulling away quicklyFeeling “too much” or too intense for othersHow family modeling shapes social shameInner child work and dialoguing prompts for healingJoin us for an honest, compassionate conversation on finding belonging and b...

Answering Your Questions! - Social Challenges

This is "Our Whole Childhood" - hosted by Patrick Teahan - where we discuss everything childhood trauma, from the issues that we experience, to the stuff that comes up in our families, and to the healing work that we're all trying to get done. No clinical jargon—just real, personal stories of growing up with childhood trauma and the journey to healing. Learn more at <a href="http://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/">www.patrickteahantherapy.com/</a>&nbsp;

Our Whole Childhood with Patrick Teahan

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