In this episode of Season of Stuck, Deanna welcomes back Dr. Ashley Southard, a marriage and family therapist specializing in over-functioning in love. During their conversation, they explore how overfunctioning manifests for women (and the emotional impact it can have)—and take a deep dive into how to embark on a healing journey using Dr. Ashley’s Self-Restoration framework. 

Tune in to learn about:

• What overfunctioning is, how and why it impacts women, and the emotional and relational costs
• Why overfunctioning women are drawn to underfunctioning partners
• How the Self-Restoration process can help women break free from overfunctioning, reconnect with their authentic selves, and build healthier, more reciprocal relationships

Thoughts from the episode:

• “A big piece for over-functioning women [is] we've been led to believe we're too much. We've also been led to believe we're not enough.”
• It breaks my heart when I'm at the beginning stages of work with a woman and she says, ‘I'm really scared to get to know who I am. What if I don't like her?’ And I always say, ‘What if you love her? What if you're blown away by how amazing she is?’
• “The self-restored woman really has to pair up with a very healthy functioning partner who also really likes who they are. And this pairing becomes a very intentional choice. ‘I have chosen to get to know who I am. And then I get the privilege of choosing a partner who has also gotten to know themselves. And we are choosing to do this together.’

About the guest:

Dr. Ashley Southard is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in the overfunctioning/underfunctioning relationship dynamic—and, more specifically, working with overfunctioning women in love. With over 20 years of experience, she’s helped hundreds of women reclaim their worth and step into healthier relationships. She is also the creator of the Self-Restoration Framework, a process for healing from overfunctioning, and offers a range of online resources to support women on their journey.

Connect with Dr. Ashley Southard:

On the web:

drashleysouthard.com

On Instagram:

@drashleysouthard


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