I See Glass Children

What if forgiving the people who caused your childhood trauma feels like betraying the child who survived it? For many adult glass children, forgiveness can feel dangerous. When you grew up minimizing your pain, suppressing your emotions, or putting the needs of a high-needs sibling and your family ahead of your own, forgiveness can sound less like freedom and more like being asked to disappear all over again. In this episode of I See Glass Children, Alicia Meneses Maples sits down with social worker, somatic coach, author, artist, and facilitator Christine Gautreaux, MSW, for a candid conversation about forgiveness, childhood trauma, emotional neglect, anger, grief, boundaries, and healing. Together, they challenge some of the most damaging misconceptions about forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean what happened was okay. It does not require reconciliation. It does not require restoring a relationship with someone who hurt you. And you are not a bad person if you are not ready to forgive. Christine explains why forgiveness may be less about absolving another person and more about releasing the hold that an old wound continues to have on your life. She also explores the role of the body in trauma recovery and why healing may require more than intellectually understanding what happened. Alicia also shares a deeply personal experience with forgiveness and the unexpected freedom she experienced when she finally confronted anger she had carried for years. For adult glass children, survivors of childhood emotional neglect, and anyone trying to understand how family trauma continues into adulthood, this conversation offers a different way to think about forgiveness: not as something you owe the person who hurt you, but as a deeply personal process that you get to approach in your own time. The question isn’t simply, “Should I forgive?” It may be: “What would I need in order to finally feel free?” Christine Gautreaux, MSW, Consulting & Women Connected In Wisdom Podcast & Community @womenconnectedinwisdompodcast Christine (she/her) is dedicated to the pursuit of play, joy, art & social justice. Christine’s superpowers include connecting people, helping folks manifest their dreams, standing up against injustice and using art to make a difference in the world. Christine Gautreaux (pronounced gō trō) , MSW holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Social Work and is a professional speaker, coach, author and entrepreneur. Christine is the co-author of Stillpoint: A Caregivers Playbook to find ease and to take a deep breath and reclaim joy and Women Connected in Wisdom stories and resources rooted in the 8 dimensions of wellness volumes I & II. She believes in the power of body wisdom and somatic play to help heal trauma and live our best lives. Christine coaches professional caregivers, activists and artists to maintain balance and self-care during these intense times we find ourselves living. Christine is the Co-Host of the Women Connected in Wisdom Podcast (ranked in the top 5% globally) and the Co-Founder of the Women Connected in Wisdom Community. She is currently serving as the Integrity & Innovation coordinator of InterPlay. You can connect with her at www.womenconnectedinwisdom.com or [email protected] What You Will Hear In This Episode: Why forgiveness does not mean forgetting, excusing, or approving what happened Why some survivors of childhood trauma experience forgiveness as threatening Whether forgiveness is actually necessary in order to heal Why anger, grief, and painful memories can return even after you thought you had dealt with them How childhood trauma and emotional neglect can disconnect adult glass children from their emotions and bodies Why healing is often a process rather than a one-time breakthrough How somatic practices can help people notice what they are carrying Why forgiveness may require witnessing, validation, and a sacred space How to begin healing when therapy or professional support is not accessible Using writing, movement, music, nature, and art as tools for processing difficult experiences Why forgiving someone does not require reconciliation Why boundaries may still be necessary after forgiveness The danger of confronting a parent or family member expecting acknowledgment or an apology Why telling someone “I forgive you” can sometimes lead to further hurt How childhood trauma can affect our ability to choose emotionally healthy relationships Why you are not a bad person if you cannot forgive or are not ready to forgive Alicia’s personal story of confronting anger, forgiveness, faith, and God Why healing may begin with one very small question: “May I?” — Connect & Engage Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can help break the silence around glass children: 1. Subscribe to the I See Glass Children Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | or wherever you get your podcasts 2. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and tell them, “You have to hear this.” 3. Visit https://iseeglasschildren.com and subscribe to “Behind the Glass” for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a special PDF with tips for helping glass children Spread the Word Share this episode with your bestie, your therapist, your teachers, your minister, friends. Sharing is caring and hearing is healing. REMEMBER: If you’re struggling, reach out to a mental health professional. You do not have to do this alone. Thank you for listening to the I See Glass Children podcast. I’m Alicia Meneses Maples and I see you. — Produced by: Brewing.Media Dedicated to: My Daddy. I love you with all my heart forevers. Special thanks to: BlueHair The post Do I Have to Forgive to Heal? Childhood Trauma and Christine Gautreaux, MSW appeared first on iseeglasschildren.com.

What happens when you are a teenager, your sibling starts to psychologically unravel, and no one explains what’s happening to you? In this shocking episode of the I See Glass Children podcast, Alicia sits down with Todd Richardson, an adult Glass Child whose older brother developed schizoaffective disorder during adolescence. What followed were years of psychosis, violence, chaos, fear, and isolation that shaped Todd’s understanding of safety, relationships, emotions, and himself. While his parents focused on his brother’s illness, Todd was left trying to make sense of a world that no longer felt safe. He learned to monitor everyone’s emotions. He learned to make himself smaller. He learned to anticipate disaster before it happened. And like so many Glass Children, he learned that survival came before everything else. Today, Todd gives us an unfiltered, raw peek into what it was like growing up beside severe mental illness, the hidden impact of sibling trauma, the complicated role of rage in healing, and why many Glass Children spend decades searching for the safety they never had as children. Content Note: Violence, emotional neglect, substance use disorder (drugs and alcohol) This is Todd’s story. Welcome to the I See Glass Children podcast. What You’ll Hear in This Episode Growing up with an older brother who developed schizoaffective disorder Early warning signs of severe mental illness What psychosis looked like inside a family home Living with violence, unpredictability, and fear Sharing a bedroom with a sibling experiencing psychotic symptoms Why Glass Children often become experts at reading emotions The connection between childhood chaos and adult hypervigilance How trauma changes your definition of danger Why many Glass Children struggle to identify their own feelings The role of alexithymia in high-needs families Rage as both a survival tool and a healing obstacle The lifelong search for safety after an unsafe childhood Parentification and the burden of managing everyone else’s emotions Why surviving childhood is not the same thing as learning how to live How writing, therapy, EMDR, and community helped Todd begin healing Why fun, joy, and play are often missing pieces in recovery Connect & Engage Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can help break the silence around glass children: Subscribe to the I See Glass Children Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | or wherever you get your podcasts. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and tell them, “You have to hear this.” Visit https://iseeglasschildren.com and subscribe to Behind the Glass for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a special PDF with tips for helping glass children. Spread the Word: Share this episode with your bestie, your therapist, your teachers, your minister, friends. Sharing is caring—and hearing is healing. REMEMBER: If you’re struggling, reach out to a mental-health professional. You do not have to do this alone. Thank you for listening to the I See Glass Children podcast. I’m Alicia Meneses Maples, and I see you. Produced by: Brewing.Media Dedicated to: My Daddy. I love you with all my heart forevers. Special thanks to: BlueHair The post Growing Up Beside Schizophrenia: Todd’s Story appeared first on iseeglasschildren.com.

What happens to a child when severe mental illness consumes their family—but no one notices the healthy child is disappearing too? In this deeply moving international episode of the I See Glass Children podcast, Alicia speaks with Rebekah, a 39-year-old adult glass child from Ireland who grew up alongside an older sister who experienced a severe psychotic break in her early teens and never fully recovered. Rebekah’s story is emblematic of the glass child experience and her sister’s illness became the center of family life. Doctors, hospitalizations, medications, psychiatric units, and crisis management consumed the household. Meanwhile, Rebekah became “the healthy child”—the one who was expected to cope, perform, succeed, and never need anything herself. But beneath the appearance of being okay was a child carrying grief, loneliness, emotional neglect, and the crushing belief that her needs didn’t matter. This conversation explores the hidden impact of growing up with a sibling who has severe mental illness, the long-term effects of emotional neglect, and why so many adult glass children spend decades believing they are the lucky ones when they are anything but. What You’ll Hear in This Episode Growing up with a sibling who developed schizophrenia during adolescence What a psychotic break looked like through the eyes of a younger sister The fear, confusion, and grief that accompany severe mental illness in a family Why many glass children become invisible when a sibling enters psychiatric care The emotional impact of being labeled “the healthy child” How children learn to suppress their own needs when family crises dominate the household The connection between childhood emotional neglect and adult low self-esteem Why so many adult glass children become hyper-independent and struggle to ask for help The hidden relationship between childhood trauma and adult burnout How Rebekah experiences contributed to depression, perfectionism, and chronic self-sacrifice The challenge of healing when family members are unwilling or unable to discuss the past Why finding support outside the family can become essential for recovery The importance of chosen family, therapy, and community for adult glass children Connect & Engage Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can help break the silence around glass children: Subscribe to the I See Glass Children Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | or wherever you get your podcasts. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and tell them, “You have to hear this.” Visit https://iseeglasschildren.com and subscribe to Behind the Glass for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a special PDF with tips for helping glass children. Spread the Word: Share this episode with your bestie, your therapist, your teachers, your minister, friends. Sharing is caring—and hearing is healing. REMEMBER: If you’re struggling, reach out to a mental-health professional. You do not have to do this alone. Thank you for listening to the I See Glass Children podcast. I’m Alicia Meneses Maples, and I see you. Produced by: Brewing.Media Dedicated to: My Daddy. I love you with all my heart forevers. Special thanks to: BlueHair The post The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Hidden Adult Dysfunction – Rebekah’s Story appeared first on iseeglasschildren.com.

What if the very emotions you’ve spent your life trying to escape… are actually trying to help you? In this powerful and surprisingly freeing conversation, Alicia sits down with confidence coach Ada Undis—a woman who boldly says something most people have never heard before: “I love guilt and shame.” Ada UnDis Ada Undis is a certified Mastery Method Coach as well as a certified nutrition coach with expertise in emotional mastery, somatic work, breaking subconscious patterns and becoming unapologetically confident. You can reach Ada at: Website: www.fyhappy.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aundis/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/adaundis For adult glass children, guilt and shame are not abstract concepts. They are lived realities—shaping decisions, relationships, identity, and self-worth. But what if they are not signs that something is wrong with you? What if they are signals… invitations… even protectors? This episode offers a completely different framework—one that does not shame your shame or fight your guilt, but instead teaches you how to understand, work with, and ultimately transform them. If you have ever felt: Responsible for everyone else Guilty for having needs Ashamed for wanting a different life Afraid to set boundaries This conversation will meet you right where you are—and softly challenge everything you thought you knew about healing. Welcome to the I See Glass Children podcast. What You’ll Hear Why guilt and shame are not your enemies—and never were The difference between guilt (I did something bad) and shame (I am bad) How childhood trauma wires adult glass children to feel guilty for having needs The hidden ways guilt and shame show up in adulthood: Hyper-independence Fear of asking for help Burnout and emotional exhaustion Why saying “yes” to yourself can feel selfish—and how to change that How guilt and shame influence your decisions without you realizing it The connection between unresolved guilt/shame and unhealthy relationships A simple but profound reframing: guilt and shame as protectors, not punishers Connect & Engage Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can help break the silence around glass children: Subscribe to the I See Glass Children Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | or wherever you get your podcasts. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and tell them, “You have to hear this.” Visit https://iseeglasschildren.com and subscribe to Behind the Glass for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a special PDF with tips for helping glass children. Spread the Word: Share this episode with your bestie, your therapist, your teachers, your minister, friends. Sharing is caring—and hearing is healing. REMEMBER: If you’re struggling, reach out to a mental-health professional. You do not have to do this alone. Thank you for listening to the I See Glass Children podcast. I’m Alicia Meneses Maples, and I see you. Produced by: Brewing.Media Dedicated to: My Daddy. I love you with all my heart forevers. Special thanks to: BlueHair The post When Guilt & Shame Becomes Your Super Power with Ada Undis appeared first on iseeglasschildren.com.

In today’s episode, you are going to hear from Abby, a 26-year-old adult glass child from the United States who has chosen to remain anonymous so she can share her story honestly and without restriction. And this conversation is different. It is DIFFICULT. We are taking an unflinching look at special needs sibling domestic violence. This is a topic most choose to avoid. We are presenting Abby’s story without filters because it is representative of what has happened and is happening in some high-needs families around the globe. Abby grew up in a home where her younger brother struggled with bipolar disorder and intermittent explosive disorder. From a very young age, her childhood was marked not just by emotional neglect—but by ongoing, unpredictable violence. And like so many glass children, what was happening inside her home was normalized. Minimized. Unspoken. An important content note: This episode contains discussions of childhood trauma, emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical violence, and family instability. Please listen with care and seek support if needed. What makes Abby’s story so powerful is not just what happened—but how she learned to survive it, which brace yourself, can feel almost as awful to the listener as hearing what she endured. She survived by: Staying quiet. Making herself small. Walking on eggshells. Believing that her needs, her pain, and even her safety were… irrelevant. Now, as an adult, she is just beginning to untangle what this kind of childhood does to a person. This is Abby’s story. Welcome to the I See Glass Children podcast. What You’ll Hear What early childhood exposure to violence actually looked like inside Abby’s high-needs home The long-term psychological impact of growing up without protection from her special needs brother’s domestic violence How Abby’s mother blamed her while she was beaten How Abby normalized her childhood trauma in order to survive it How emotional neglect teaches children that their needs are irrelevant The connection between glass children and loss of self-compassion Why many adult glass children struggle with boundaries and people-pleasing The confusion, anger, and grief that surfaced in Abby’s early adulthood Why validation from a safe relationship can feel both healing and uncomfortable at the same time Abby’s message to parents about intentionally seeing and supporting all of their children Abby’s advice to teenage glass children who feel trapped and unheard Abby’s insightful retroactive perspective about the involvement of Child Protective Service in her family Connect & Engage Ready to join the movement? Here’s how you can help break the silence around glass children: Subscribe to the I See Glass Children Podcast on YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | or wherever you get your podcasts. Share this episode with someone who needs to hear it and tell them, “You have to hear this.” Visit https://iseeglasschildren.com and subscribe to Behind the Glass for exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes content, and a special PDF with tips for helping glass children. Spread the Word: Share this episode with your bestie, your therapist, your teachers, your minister, friends. Sharing is caring—and hearing is healing. REMEMBER: If you’re struggling, reach out to a mental-health professional. You do not have to do this alone. Thank you for listening to the I See Glass Children podcast. I’m Alicia Meneses Maples, and I see you. Produced by: Brewing.Media Dedicated to: My Daddy. I love you with all my heart forevers. Special thanks to: BlueHair The post Special Needs Sibling Domestic Violence – Abby’s True Story appeared first on iseeglasschildren.com.