Beyond Survival - The Therapy Podcast with Katie McKenna

Am I The Only One? (S6 Ep.7)

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0100

"I feel stupid for tolerating it for so long"

This week's listener grew up in a narcissistic evangelical family where religion was used to justify fear, control and abuse.

As the eldest child, she became a high-achiever, believing that self-sacrifice and obedience were the keys to love and acceptance.

Decades later, after her sister disclosed childhood sexual abuse by their father, everything changed.

Therapy, reporting her own abuse and finally leaving her own coercive and abusive marriage brought freedom—but also devastating loss when another sister chose to defend the perpetrator instead.

Katie and Ruth explore why some siblings remain loyal to abusive parents.

How narcissistic family systems operate like cults.

And why so many survivors unknowingly repeat abusive patterns in adulthood.

You're not alone — and this episode explains why.

Watch 'Beyond Survival' on YouTube

SERVE – My Lost Years At The Heart of Opus Dei – by Anne Marie Allen

Uncultured – A memoir of growing up in a Cult – by Daniella Mestyanek Young

MonteMader on Instagram - Platform on deconstructing Christian Nationalism

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Does Illness Change Everything? (S6 Ep.6)

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0100

When you finally find the strength to go no contact with abusive parents, it can feel like the hardest decision you'll ever make.

But what when of those parents becomes seriously ill?

This week we hear from a listener who spent decades trying to make sense of life with a covertly narcissistic mother and an enabling father before choosing to protect herself and her own family through estrangement.

Over time, things have quietened, but the attempts to provoke contact have never fully stopped.

And then a brief letter arrives revealing her father's diagnosis, bringing with it an unexpected wave of grief, guilt and emotional conflict.

Together, Ruth and I explore one of the most painful questions adult children of narcissistic families face:

Does a parent's illness change anything?

Are boundaries possible?

Can you hold compassion for someone's suffering while still protecting yourself from further harm?

If you've ever questioned your decision to remain no contact, worried that illness means you "should" go back, or struggled with the guilt that can surface when an abusive parent becomes vulnerable, this episode offers understanding, validation, and a compassionate framework for navigating one of the most emotionally complex situations adult survivors can face.

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Narcissism or Neurodivergent? (S6 Ep.5)

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 06:00:00 +0100

What happens when the behaviours that hurt you look similar to traits associated with autism or ADHD?

Where is the line between someone struggling because they're neurodivergent and someone causing harm through narcissistic patterns?

In this episode, we explore the important differences between intention, impact, empathy, accountability, and "own agenda" behaviour.

We also talk about why understanding someone's neurodivergence doesn't require you to minimise your own experience or abandon the boundaries you've worked so hard to build.

If you've ever found yourself questioning whether the person who hurt you was narcissistic, neurodivergent, or both, this conversation will help you bring more clarity to a topic that is often misunderstood.

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Emotional Eating (S6 Ep4)

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

For many children raised by narcissistic parents, their body becomes another battleground where they learn that who they are is never quite acceptable.

Too thin? There's a problem.

Too heavy? There's a problem.

Trying to improve yourself? That's a problem too.

" I always felt that I disappointed my parents and they didn't like me."

"I always went from chunky to super skinny and kept moving back and forth with my weight."

"As an adult now, I'm an emotional eater. Food is my comfort."

"I don't drink or use any substances but when it comes to eating I just struggle."

"When I feel even a bit hungry I start to panic like the food will not be there later."

If you've spent years blaming yourself for emotional eating, binge eating, constantly thinking about food, or feeling out of control around eating, this episode may help you understand something important:

What if your relationship with food isn't really about food at all?

Many adult children of narcissistic, emotionally immature, or dysfunctional parents grow up believing they have a lack of willpower. They tell themselves they're lazy, undisciplined, or simply incapable of maintaining healthy habits.

But often, what looks like a food problem is actually a nervous system problem.

In this week's episode Dr. Ruth Callaghan and I, dive deep into this weeks letter of a listener of growing up with a narcissistic mother, an enabling father, family alcoholism, religious dysfunction, and a childhood where food became tangled up with love, safety, criticism, and survival.

Watch 'Beyond Survival' on YouTube

www.Bodywhys.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

When The Veil Finally Drops (S6 Ep.3)

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

In this episode, Katie & Ruth hear from a listener in the "raw stages of estrangement" – navigating the grief, fear, and disorientation that can come when the reality of a dysfunctional family system finally comes into focus.

After years of minimising and carrying the impact of her father's emotional abuse, aggression, and physical violence – everything changed when that same behaviour was directed towards their young child.

Faced with a choice between protecting family relationships or protecting her child – she chose to break a cycle that had been running for generations.

If you're currently navigating the painful early stages of estrangement, or questioning whether you're doing the right thing by choosing distance from harmful family dynamics, this conversation offers validation, understanding, and a reminder that protecting your children often begins with protecting yourself.

Watch 'Beyond Survival' on YouTube

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Should I Go To Therapy with my Narcissistic Parent? (S6 Ep.2)

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

What happens when the parent who always refused accountability finally agrees to therapy?

In this episode, Ruth and Katie explore the complex realities of dysfunctional family systems, the difference between reconciliation and repair, the risks and potential benefits of family therapy with a narcissistic or emotionally immature parent, and we delve deep into the pressure many adult children face to "keep the peace" from extended family – at the expense of their own wellbeing.

If you've ever wondered whether attending one final conversation is an act of self-respect or self-betrayal, this episode is for you.

Watch 'Beyond Survival' on YouTube

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

How Narcissistic Parents use Abandonment as a Method of Control (S6 - Ep.1)

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 06:00:00 +0100

"Do as I say and you can stay. Piss me off and you are out."

That was the message our listener received throughout her childhood.

In this powerful letter, she reflects on growing up with a mother who repeatedly used the threat of abandonment to maintain control — leaving her with severe anxiety, a deep fear of rejection, and the sense that love could be withdrawn at any moment.

Now a parent herself, she finds herself facing a different challenge. As she sets boundaries to protect her children, her mother accuses her of being angry, difficult to love, and responsible for breaking up the family. At the same time, she appears increasingly focused on building relationships with her grandchildren while refusing to address the hurt in her relationship with her daughter.

In this episode, we explore abandonment as a form of narcissistic abuse, the impact of growing up with conditional love, and why protecting your children can sometimes bring old family dynamics into sharp focus. We also discuss the grief of accepting that some parents are more invested in access than accountability — and what healing can look like when repair isn't possible.

Watch Beyond Survival on YouTube

Contact Dr. Ruth Callaghan: www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Behind Closed Doors: Recognising Coercive Control (S5 - Ep.10)

Fri, 29 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100

In this week episode, I’m joined by Michelle from ADAPT Domestic Abuse Services for a vital conversation about domestic abuse and coercive control:

How it can look in real life
Why it can be so hard to recognise when you’re inside it
and what support can make possible.

Michelle brings years of frontline experience supporting women experiencing domestic abuse through outreach, education, family law court support, and recovery groups across Limerick.

Together, we talk about the patterns of coercive control, the impact abuse can have on your sense of self and safety, and some of the reasons people can feel trapped, confused, or unable to name what’s happening.

This episode is for anyone wanting a clearer picture of how coercive control works behind closed doors. We also explore the importance of community awareness and the role support can play in helping someone move from survival toward safety and recovery.

www.adaptservices.ie

Phone ADAPT - 1 800 200 504

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Can I Trust Myself (S5 Ep.9)

Fri, 22 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I overreacting, or was that not okay?” — this episode is for you.

For many survivors of narcissistic abuse, the question “Can I trust my own perception?” sits quietly at the centre of healing — shaping how you think, feel, and relate to yourself and others.

In this episode, I shift the focus away from analysing the narcissist and bring it back to you — your internal world. Because while understanding the abuse is essential, staying stuck in that analysis can keep you disconnected from the very thing that was taken from you: trust in yourself.

In this solo episode, I talk about 4 ways your body and nervous system send you signals: chronic confusion, the “ick,” the physical sensation of feeling small or put down, and the urge to fawn or appease.

This episode is an invitation to begin moving your internal compass back where it belongs — inside you.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Is it me – Am I The Problem? (S5 Ep.8)

Fri, 15 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100

In this solo episode, I dive deep into the fear so many people carry after narcissistic abuse: Is it me – Am I The problem?

When you’ve spent years being blamed, criticised, or made responsible for someone else’s behaviour, it’s so common to question yourself deeply. But there’s a huge difference between being human and being narcissistic.

In this episode I'll explore how many survivors swing the pendulum completely the other way — becoming so afraid of being selfish, demanding, or “too much” that they stop taking up space altogether. They struggle to say no, change their mind, express needs, or even protest hurtful sarcasm because they fear centring themselves in the way the narcissist did.

This episode is about reclaiming healthy space. Learning that you are allowed to have boundaries, opinions, needs, and limits without it making you narcissistic.

You have the right to say no, to change your mind, to speak up when something hurts, and to exist fully in your relationships — not through dominance & control, but through self-respect and emotional health.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

ADHD: "I thought this was just who I am" - An Interview with Dr. Sarah Carthy (S5 Ep.7)

Fri, 08 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100

ADHD is something many people have heard of. You may know someone who has been diagnosed. You may already have a diagnosis, or maybe you’ve quietly wondered if it could explain parts of your life that have always felt harder than they should.

For a lot of people, the story sounds like this: “This is just me. I’m scattered. I’m forgetful. I start things and don’t finish them. I’m bad at routines.”
And over time, those patterns can become identity.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Carthy, who specialises in ADHD, to unpack what ADHD can actually look like in real life — especially in girls and women, where it so often goes unseen and misunderstood.

Because ADHD doesn’t always look like the stereotype.

It can look like being high-functioning on the outside but overwhelmed on the inside.
It can look like chronic procrastination, emotional intensity, people-pleasing, or burnout.
It can look like constantly trying to “keep up” with a world that feels just slightly out of sync with how your brain works.

And for many women, it goes undiagnosed for years.

Instead, it gets labelled as anxiety.
Or sensitivity.
Or “just the way you are.”

In this conversation, we explore:

The different ways ADHD presents, particularly beyond the hyperactive stereotype
Why so many girls and women are missed or misdiagnosed
The emotional impact of living without answers
How ADHD can shape self-worth, relationships, and daily functioning

I also share my own personal journey with ADHD — what led me to explore it, what shifted when I began to understand it, and my experience with medication.

Because this isn’t just about diagnosis.
It’s about knowledge.
It’s about context.
It’s about recognising that some of the things you’ve been blaming yourself for, have never been character flaws to begin with.

Dr Sarah Carthy: www.adhddoc.ie

www.irelandadhd.ie

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The Faces of Narcissism - An Interview with Dr. Rachna Buxani (S5 Ep.6)

Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Adult children of narcissists parents often struggle to name what happened to them.

In this episode, I’m joined again by Dr. Rachna Buxani, and we’re exploring the different faces of narcissism — and why it can be so hard to recognise.

While many people can spot the grandiose narcissist — the constant need to be the centre of attention, the arrogance, the lack of empathy — it’s the other, quieter forms of narcissism, that often go unnoticed and can be most confusing.

In this episode we explore more covert (or vulnerable) narcissism—the “poor me” dynamic, where someone positions themselves as the victim, appearing sensitive or misunderstood, while quietly centring everything around their own needs.

This can show up as guilt-tripping, emotional withdrawal, stonewalling and blame-shifting that leaves you feeling responsible for their pain.

We also look at communal narcissism — where the narcissist is widely seen as generous and selfless. They can be deeply admired in their community, yet behind closed doors it's a complexity different story. There is a constant need for admiration, validation and control. This makes the relationship confusing and one-sided — and you doubt yourself, especially when your experience doesn’t match how the world sees them.

This conversation about making sense of what you’ve lived through — so you can begin to rebuild self-trust, set boundaries, and reconnect with your voice.

Unseen - A Therapist's Reflection on a Daughter's Journey Through a Narcissistic Father's Shadow

Dr. Rachna Buxani-Mirpuri

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

An Interview with Kristin Morgan (S5 Ep.5)

Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Becoming a mother is often spoken about as a time of softness. A time where a mother is held, supported, celebrated. Where care naturally gathers around her.

But for many adult children of narcissistic parents, pregnancy and having their own children can feel like the exact opposite.

Instead of support, there can be intrusion.
Instead of care, there can be control.
Instead of being seen, there can be a sudden and overwhelming sense of being claimed.

In this week’s episode of Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast, I’m joined by Kristin Morgan, who brings over a decade of experience in maternal mental health and reproductive psychology. Together, we explore the emotional complexity that can arise when an adult child steps into motherhood while still navigating a relationship with a narcissistic parent.

Because for many, pregnancy doesn’t just mark the beginning of a new life — it marks the re-emergence of old patterns.

Contact Kristin: www.morgancounsel.com

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Why Narcissistic Abuse is So Hard To Recognise (S5 Ep.4)

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

When you’re raised by a narcissistic parent, the harm doesn’t come labelled as abuse.

It comes wrapped in concern, protection, closeness, and sacrifice. “This is for your own good.” “I’m only saying this because I love you.”

Over time, these messages don’t just justify the behaviour — they shape how you understand yourself.

In this episode, I unpack one of the most confusing and painful questions for adult children: How did I not know it was abuse?

The reason you didn’t see it wasn’t because you missed something. It’s because it was never meant to be seen.

Through real-life examples, this episode breaks down the subtle ways narcissistic abuse hides in plain sight — from criticism framed as care, to control framed as protection, to emotional enmeshment disguised as closeness. I also look at why, even in adulthood, so many adults continue to turn the blame inward — and why that response makes sense.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Healthy Anger vs Narcissistic Rage (S5 Ep.3)

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

There is such a thing as Healthy Anger — but if you grew up around narcissistic rage, that can feel hard to believe.

In this solo episode, I untangle the belief many adult children of narcissistic parents carry: the learned belief that anger is dangerous, destructive, or something to fear within yourself.

When anger was only ever modelled as explosive outbursts or cold withdrawal, it makes sense that your system learned to shut it down entirely — or to associate it with shame.

I explore the crucial difference between anger, aggression, and rage. My hope is that you’ll begin to see anger — not as something that turns you into “them” — but as a clean, protective signal from your nervous system. A signal that something matters. That something isn’t right. That something is wrong or unfair or unjustified.

Our Healthy Anger signals to us that we deserve care, respect, and boundaries. That we exist. That we matter.

I also look at narcissistic rage — what drives it, why it feels so destabilising, and why it was never actually about you.

This is a steady, clarifying conversation about reclaiming anger as something safe, informative, and deeply self-respecting. Not something to act out — but something you’re allowed to feel.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

The Enabling Parent (S5 Ep.2)

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:00 +0100

Anyone listening to an abusive parent in action can easily interpret the other parent’s silence as safety. Because they don’t join in, they can appear to be “the good parent” — the one who feels more trustworthy, more stable, more protective.

But silence in these dynamics is rarely neutral.

In this episode, I explore the often-overlooked role of the passive or non-abusive parent — and how their inaction, minimisation, or inability to protect can shape a child’s experience just as deeply. I discuss the confusion this creates, the loyalty binds it reinforces, and the long-term impact it can have on how safety, trust, and relationships are understood in adulthood.

This is a compassionate, nuanced conversation — not about blame, but about seeing clearly what was missing, so you can begin to make sense of your experience with more honesty and self-trust.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Sex & Intimacy - An Interview with Grace Alice OShea (S5 Ep.1)

Fri, 27 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

When you grow up in a narcissistic family, you don’t get the space to become yourself. Your wants are dismissed, your needs are overlooked, and your boundaries are annihilated. So in healing, we’re not just recovering — we’re learning who we are for the first time.

One part of identity that often gets left out of this conversation is sexuality and desire.

For many people, this area is deeply impacted. A narcissistic parent can blur boundaries, sexualise, shame and create confusion around sex, sexuality and desire. And that can leave you feeling disconnected from your body, your desires, and your sense of agency.

In this episode, I’m joined by sex educator and intimacy coach Grace Alice OShea to explore sexuality in a way that feels safe, grounded, and shame-free.

We talk about how early experiences shape our relationship with sex and intimacy, and how to begin reconnecting with yourself—at your own pace, in your own way.

This is a gentle, honest conversation to help you release shame, understand your experience, and begin to reclaim this part of yourself.

Follow Grace on Instagram

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How do I support my siblings, without losing myself? (S4 Ep.10)

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

When raised in a narcissistic system, sibling bonds can become both a lifeline and a source of deep emotional strain.

In todays letter, we discuss the often unspoken dynamic of sibling abuse, trauma bonding, family roles, addiction, and the emotional toll of being the cycle breaker.

Ruth and I explore what happens when one sibling begins the healing journey — setting boundaries, going no contact, and breaking generational cycles — while others remain caught in addiction, mental health struggles, and unresolved trauma.

There’s often the guilt of leaving. The pressure to rescue. The cost of being cast as “the strong one.” And the heartbreak of watching siblings suffer while trying to protect your own peace.

Growing up in a home marked by alcoholism, narcissistic parenting, domestic violence, neglect, and abuse, today’s story reflects what many adult children of dysfunctional families quietly carry.

It also speaks to the reality of holding compassion without self-abandonment, especially when your own healing, your children, and your nervous system need to come first.

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I support my siblings without losing myself?”—this conversation offers a grounded, trauma-aware space to reflect on that question.

Because healing doesn’t mean you stop caring.
But it does ask you to choose where your responsibility begins — and ends.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Golden Child vs Scapegoat (S4 Ep.9)

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

This week a listener describes what it was like to grow up largely invisible and also scapegoated, while their older sister held the role of the golden child.

With a covertly narcissistic mother and an overtly narcissistic father, achievements, independence, and curiosity were mocked rather than celebrated, while approval always seemed just out of reach. Praise was offered to strangers, but rarely, if ever, directly to the child who longed to hear it.

The story also touches on boundary violations, body shaming, and the subtle but powerful ways children learn to survive within dysfunctional systems — becoming the “good child,” the high achiever, the one who stays quiet and contained in order to maintain stability.

But the dynamics didn’t stay in childhood. When this listener became a parent and began setting boundaries, the family system escalated in ways that will feel painfully familiar to many who grew up in similar environments.

If you grew up in a family where love felt conditional, where roles were rigid, or where your reality was often dismissed, this story may resonate deeply.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

When is enough, enough? (S4 Ep.8)

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Did I do the right thing? Am I being unreasonable?

This week we hear from a listener who grew up with a controlling father who monitored finances, belittled her mother, mocked her intelligence, and ruled the house with, “If you live under my roof, you do as I say.”

She became the responsible daughter. The fixer. The emotional support system. The one who stayed close.

After decades of being pulled into her parents’ toxic marriage, she set a boundary: Don’t involve me in your disputes anymore.

Her mother apologised. Her father stopped speaking to her.

In this episode, we explore:

Growing up with a narcissistic or controlling father
Being the scapegoat vs. the golden child
Parentification and becoming the family therapist
Setting boundaries with narcissistic parents
The silent treatment as punishment
Breaking generational trauma when you become a parent
The grief of unavailable grandparents

If you were the “responsible one.”
If you were triangulated into your parents’ conflict.
If you’ve ever been punished for having boundaries.
If becoming a mum or dad made you realise just how unhealthy your childhood was.

This conversation will feel painfully familiar — and deeply validating.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok

Follow Dr Ruth Callaghan on Instagram

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

People-Pleasing as Survival (S4 Ep7)

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we’re exploring The Fawn response through the experience of a listener who grew up in a home shaped by addiction, conflict and emotional unpredictability.

With siblings who needed significant care, he learned very early that the safest way to exist was to be low maintenance. Mature. Independent. No trouble.

He became highly attuned to other people’s moods — scanning faces, tracking tone shifts, apologising first, and doing whatever was needed to prevent arguments.

What looked like kindness was survival.

As a child, it made sense. If he didn’t add pressure, maybe things wouldn’t escalate. If he helped enough, maybe everyone would be okay. But that strategy followed him into adulthood — struggling to say no, feeling responsible for other people’s reactions, being taken advantage of in friendships, and experiencing intense guilt whenever he tries to put himself first.

Even after years of practising boundaries, saying no still brings anxiety and a powerful urge to go back and fix things when someone is disappointed. Choosing himself doesn’t feel freeing — it feels wrong.

In this episode, we unpack people pleasing, the nervous system roots of the fawn response, and why guilt often intensifies when you stop self-abandoning. We explore why boundaries can initially feel unsafe — and how healing this pattern isn’t about becoming selfish, but about building safety within yourself.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Am I Overreacting? Was It Really That Bad? (S4 Ep.6)

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

If you grew up with a parent who rewrote history, denied conversations that clearly happened and turned every attempt at repair into an explosion… this episode is for you.

In this episode of Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast, I read a listener’s story about going low contact, then no contact, after years of gaslighting, DARVO, and emotional manipulation.

We explore the role of the enabling parent (deflection, minimising, suggests you’re “misremembering” or "mentally unwell") and the physical toll of being disbelieved. And when you finally step away — why does the doubt get louder, not quieter?

We also address the haunting question so many adult children of narcissists carry: “Am I overreacting?”

If you’ve ever second-guessed your own memory… if you’ve been told you’re too sensitive, mentally unwell, or the problem… if going no contact brought both relief and guilt — this conversation may help you feel less alone.

You’re not crazy for wanting honesty.

And you’re not cruel for choosing safety.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram

www.callaghancounselling.ie

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Does life get more peaceful when they die? (S4 Ep5)

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

A listener writes in with a question that many people carry quietly (and can often feel ashamed for even thinking)

Does life get more peaceful when they die?

This listener was adopted into a family where love was conditional and pain was reframed as devotion. A father who minimised abuse as “loving too much.” A mother whose behaviour ruined milestones. Public humiliation at her wedding. Health crises used as leverage.

And finally, a breaking point — being told to “fuck off” in front of her eight-year-old daughter, leading her from low contact to no contact.

After years of therapy, anxiety, depression, and recurring dreams about her parents, she asks the question so many adult children of abusive families wonder but rarely say out loud:

Does life get more peaceful when they die?

In this episode, we explore the reality beneath that question — grief without safety, guilt without repair, and what peace actually comes from (and what it doesn’t).

This is an honest conversation about the trauma of adoption, endings, longing, and reclaiming your nervous system when the relationship was never safe to begin with.

Follow Dr. Ruth on TikTok

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

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When abuse feels familiar (S4 Ep4)

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we hear from a 44-year-old listener whose role as “the strong one” began far too early. Raised in the 80s as the eldest of four children to unmarried parents, she grew up learning to stay quiet, stay alert, and stay responsible. With a hard-working, emotionally absent, father and a mother she had to tiptoe around, she was placed into the role of parent long before she had the chance to be a child.

Labelled, blamed, and isolated from friends, she became the family scapegoat — the one everything landed on. That early conditioning followed her into adulthood, where she found herself repeating familiar dynamics in an abusive relationship, feeling like a pawn caught between her partner and her mother.

After finding the courage to leave, circumstances led her back into her mother’s home — and today, as she navigates court proceedings, she names the most frightening reality not as the legal battle, but as continued proximity to her mother.

This episode explores scapegoating, parentification, narcissistic abuse, projection, and the deep nervous-system impact of growing up unsafe — as well as what it means to begin reclaiming choice, agency, and self-trust later in life.

Follow Ruth on TikTok

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

The Impact of a Critical Mother (S4 Ep3)

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we read a letter from a listener who has spent her life being criticised by her mother — called “stupid,” shamed about her body, and told she was a mistake. When she shared the news of her engagement, her mother ignored her for a week. When she tried to express how hurt she felt, she was accused of “looking for trouble” and acting as if she thought she was better than everyone else.

She’s now considering taking a break from the relationship and is asking a question many adult children quietly carry: Is it okay to step back, even when it’s your mother?
We explore what chronic criticism does to the nervous system, why attempts at repair often get turned back on the child, and how to think about distance or no contact in a way that centres safety, self-trust, and emotional reality — not guilt or obligation.

This episode is for anyone navigating the painful space between longing for a different parent and choosing themselves anyway.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Fighting For My Truth (S4 Ep2)

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode we hear from a listener who has navigated years of emotional turmoil within her blended family.

After a life-threatening childbirth, she faced ongoing manipulation, smear campaigns, and boundary violations from her mother-in-law, who sided with her husband’s ex and sought to control their family.

This powerful story explores the exhaustion of protecting your marriage and family while maintaining your own sense of self, and the ongoing challenge of living your truth in the face of disbelief and manipulation.

Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok

Follow Dr. Callaghan on Instagram

www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

The Cost of Emotional Safety (S4 Ep1)

Fri, 16 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

When you leave a narcissistic family system, the separation rarely ends with you. Often, it comes with a quiet guilt for the sibling left behind - and for the children who loved the version of the family you worked so hard to preserve.

In this week’s episode, we reflect on a letter from a listener who shares the painful complexity of this experience. For ten years, she helped her children see the good in her parents - explaining that love could look different, facilitating online contact, and enduring occasional visits that were deeply upsetting for her. She believed she could hold the pain so her children wouldn’t have to.

Now, with no contact in place, her children are grieving grandparents they experienced as kind, and an uncle they experienced as funny. She writes about how hard it is to explain boundaries when you’re still trying to understand them yourself - and the heartbreak of knowing that safety and protecting you kids, doesn’t always feel that way to a child.

This episode explores the layered grief of leaving, the guilt that follows, and the slow, careful work of helping children understand emotional safety - not through blame or character assassination, but through truth, regulation, and compassion.

If you’ve ever questioned whether you did the right thing, or felt torn between protecting your children and breaking their hearts, this conversation is for you.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Perfectionism - An Interview with Claire Fealy (S3 Ep10)

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Perfectionism can look like competence, control, or high standards, but what often hides underneath is a survival strategy.

In this conversation, I’m joined by, Podcast Host & Mindset Coach, Claire Fealy to explore how perfectionism hides in plain sight - in our work, relationships, bodies, and inner worlds. We talk about how perfectionism develops as protection, how it keeps us stuck in self-monitoring and self-pressure, and why it can feel so hard to let go of.

Together, we explore what it actually takes to heal and gently disrupt perfectionistic patterns - without forcing change, shaming ourselves, or trying to “fix” who we are.

This is a conversation about understanding, softening, and creating safety beyond survival.

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Looking Forward 2026

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be running another 6-Week C.A.L.M. Parent Method in February - Doors open January 26th - Join the Waitlist today.

Here's what some of the parents who completed the course last year have shared:

“Doing The Calmer Parent course was absolutely invaluable” Nicola

“This has been the most impactful course I’ve ever taken” Steph

“I’m sincere when I say my husband and I have repeatedly said this is the best parenting course we’ve ever paid for” Annalisa

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

'Narcissistic Father' - An interview with Dr. Rachna Boxani-Mirpuri (S3 Ep9)

Fri, 02 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, I’m joined by psychologist and author Dr Rachna Buxani, whose book Unseen: A Therapist’s Reflection on a Daughter’s Journey Through a Narcissistic Father’s Shadow.

Together, we explore what happens when a father’s love feels more like control than care?

We discuss the impact of growing up in emotional silence, the silent erosion of self-trust, and how a child learns to survive by disconnecting from her own voice. Dr Buxani shares reflections on memory, self-doubt, and the invisible grief of never feeling truly seen by a narcissistic father.

If you’ve ever questioned your own experiences, apologised for having needs, or felt like love was something you had to earn, this episode is for you!

Looking Forward 2026

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be running another 6-Week C.A.L.M. Parent Method in February - Doors open January 26th - Join the Waitlist today.

Here's what some of the parents who completed the course last year have shared:

“Doing The Calmer Parent course was absolutely invaluable” Nicola

“This has been the most impactful course I’ve ever taken” Steph

“I’m sincere when I say my husband and I have repeatedly said this is the best parenting course we’ve ever paid for” Annalisa

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

An Interview with Dr. Natalie Fabert (S3 Ep8)

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Natalie Fabert to explore a question I often return to: What if a narcissistic family system operates like a cult?

When we hear the word cult, it can conjure images of something extreme, distant, or dramatic, something that happens to other people. But what if a cult simply describes a system. A system where one person’s reality becomes the only acceptable reality. Where it’s “my way or the highway.” Where you’re trained to question yourself, but never the person in charge.

We’ll talk about how these systems are upheld through conditional love, inconsistent rules, and roles that determine your worth based on how well you perform. While education often focuses on the narcissist’s behaviour, this conversation looks beyond the individual to the wider system that protects and maintains the dynamic.

Using real-life examples, we explore how the psychological dynamics of cults and narcissistic families can be strikingly similar.

Dr. Natalie Fabert joins us from the Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion, where she serves on the board of directors and oversees continuing education for clinicians. She is an associate teaching professor of psychology at Arizona State University and a licensed psychologist in private practice, specialising in work with survivors of cultic abuse, spiritual and religious abuse, and coercive control.

If you grew up in a family where love felt conditional and you became hyper-vigilant, constantly monitoring and managing your narcissistic parent’s moods. Where you learned not to trust your own mind, and self-doubt became second nature, where obedience felt like survival in a home that trained you to question yourself but never the person in charge! Then this episode offers a powerful new lens for understanding what you lived through, and why it was never your fault.

Dr. Natalie Fabert

Lalich Center on Cults and Coercion

Add your name here if you'd like to know more about my parenting course

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Why Do I React This Way? The Wounds & Their Roots (S3 Ep7)

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

In this episode, I explore the trauma responses many of us developed just to survive childhood and why they still show up in our adult lives.

I’ll break down the main trauma responses, the core wounds they originate from, and how these patterns are shaped by growing up with narcissistic parents.

I’ll also walk you through the four types of narcissistic parents and how each one impacts a child’s nervous system, sense of self, and relationships, and why your responses were never flaws, they were there survival responses!

Most importantly, we’ll talk about healing: how to begin meeting the wounds underneath your trauma responses with compassion, safety, and choice, rather than shame. This episode is for anyone who has ever asked, “Why do I react this way?” and is ready to move beyond survival and into self-trust and emotional freedom

If you'd like to know more about my parenting course - add your name here

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Narcissistic Parentification (S3 Ep6)

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This week, I'm unpacking one of the most common yet misunderstood experiences for adult children of narcissistic abuse: Narcissistic Parentification.

I’ll walk through the different roles the children are cast into; Scapegoat Child, Golden Child, Enmeshed / Gilded Child, The Invisible Child, and how these roles profoundly shape your relationships, boundaries, identity, and sense of self today.

By understanding the dynamics behind the role you were assigned, you can finally challenge the narratives that kept you small and start healing on your own terms.

If you'd like to know more about my parenting course - add your name here

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Instrumental Parentification (S3 Ep5)

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, I'm diving into Instrumental Parentification — a dynamic where a child becomes the household’s “mini Cinderella.” They’re the ones cooking, cleaning, managing bills and appointments, caring for siblings, or even being conditioned into the role of caregiver for an ill family member.

We’ll explore how these adult-sized responsibilities shape a child’s sense of self, and how the impact often follows them into adulthood, influencing their relationships - especially with their siblings.

Listen to understand how this pattern develops, why it’s so damaging, and what healing can look like.

Get notified about the next Calmer Parent Method with Katie McKenna

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Emotional Parentification (S3 Ep4)

Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

In this solo episode, I’m diving into the topic of parentification — what it looks like, how to recognise it, and why naming your experience is the essential first step toward healing.

Before we can deconstruct and dismantle the roles and patterns we grew up with, we need the language to understand what truly happened to us. I’ll be sharing real, relatable examples to help you spot the subtle and not-so-subtle signs of parentification in your own family system and explore how these dynamics may have shaped your sense of self, relationships, and emotional world.

This episode will help you recognise the signs of parentification - for you or your siblings - and begin making sense of your story with clarity and compassion.

*If you'd like to know when I'm running my next parenting course - add your name here

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Enmeshment - An Interview with Dr. Ken Adams (S3 Ep3)

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

In today’s episode, we dive deep into the complex topic of enmeshment—what it is, how it forms, and what healthyfamily patterns actually look like. We explore the journey of emancipation: how to recognise the conditioned roles you were assigned in childhood and, most importantly, how to break free from them.

Joining us is Dr. Ken Adams, renowned national lecturer, workshop leader, and consultant specializing in child abuse, dysfunctional family systems, and sex addiction. Dr. Adams is the acclaimed author of Silently Seduced, When He’s Married to Mom, and A Light in the Dark.
Together, we unpack the dynamics of enmeshment and offer insights on reclaiming your autonomy and emotional freedom.

www.drkenadams.com

www.overcomingenmeshment.com

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BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

An Interview with Dr. Christine Cocchiola (S3 Ep2)

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

“I started this work at the age of 19. I was a child abuse advocate, a sexual abuse advocate, a domestic violence advocate, a therapist — and yet, I didn’t know it was happening to me.”

Dr. Christine Cocchiola is a leading expert on the experience of adult and child victims of coercive control. But even with all her knowledge and training, she found herself living inside the very dynamic she’d dedicated her life to understanding and preventing.

In this powerful and deeply personal conversation, Dr. Cocchiola shares her own story — the signs she missed, the psychological grip of coercive control, the impact on children, and how to recognise it in your own relationship. She also offers essential guidance on how to protect children from a coercively controlling parent.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the hidden dynamics of control and reclaim their sense of safety and self.

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www.coercivecontrolconsulting.com

Ted X Talk - It's All Coercive Control

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

People-Pleasing / Fawning (S3 Ep1)

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Solo Episode - This week on Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast, I’m unpacking the truth behind people pleasing.

So often we think of it as a habit or personality trait - but in reality, it’s a deeply ingrained survival response.

When a child grows up in dysfunction, their nervous system learns that safety comes from centering others and erasing themselves. This fawning response isn’t about being “too nice” - it’s about self-abandonment learned in an environment where needs, emotions, and authenticity weren’t safe.

Join me as I explore how this pattern forms, how it shows up in adulthood, and what healing looks like when we start to reclaim our right to exist, take up space, and be seen.

Receive information from me on The Calmer Parent

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

How do I let go of all the rage? (S2 Ep10)

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0000

This week a listener asks a question: How do I let go of all the rage?

After years of no contact with her abusive family, she’s exhausted by how much power the past still has over her present.

She doesn’t want revenge or empty apologies - she just wants peace. But how do you move forward when there will never be justice? In this episode, we explore what rage really is beneath the surface, why it can feel impossible to release, and how to begin freeing yourself from its grip so you can finally start living for you.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Living on High Alert (S2 E9)

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0100

This week, I read a letter from a listener who’s been no contact with her mother for two years - but still feels like she’s living with her shadow.

Every bark of the dog, every knock at the door, sends her body into high alert. Even something as simple as checking the mailbox feels dangerous.

Myself and Dr. Ruth Callaghan will explore what it’s like when no contact doesn’t bring peace, and how our nervous system can become stuck in fight/flight - especially when the person we’re protecting ourselves from once felt impossible to escape.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

The Trap (S2 E8)

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Question - "I'm never going to find her easy but how do I regulate after exposure to her?"

In this episode, we hear from a listener - an only child - who has spent a lifetime navigating exhaustion, guilt, and confusion in her relationship with her aging mother.

Her mother calls her “my everything,” professes deep love, yet never asks about her life or family. Instead, she elicits promises, plays the victim, uses guilt to control, and bends the truth to suit her narrative.

For this listener, going no contact isn’t an option. So she’s learning to hold firmer boundaries — limiting visits, stepping back from constant caretaking, and seeing the manipulation for what it is — but still battles the heavy weight of guilt and self-doubt: “Am I being too harsh?”

With growing self-awareness and hard-won clarity, she asks a powerful question: "How do I regulate better when with her - and after?"

Together, Ruth and I explore how to stay grounded in contact with a narcissistic parent, how to recover from the emotional crash afterward, and how true healing often means redefining love, responsibility, and self-worth on your own terms.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

When a Mother Can’t Let Go (S2 E7)

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0100

This week, we read a powerful letter from a listener whoasks myself and Dr. Ruth Callaghan the question: "How do I decide whether or not to go no contact? I can't seem to spend time with them that doesn't involve drama?"

The listener describes growing up with a mum who seemed caring on the surface — "never shouting, just nagging, crying and hounding me, until she gets her own way" — and a dad who told her to “keep the peace.”

Now, as a mother herself, every attempt to set a healthy boundary is met with guilt, tears, and emotional pressure.

In this episode, we explore what it’s like when love comes with strings attached, how emotional manipulation can hide behind the illusion of softness, and the painful process of deciding whether connection is still possible — or whether protecting yourself means finally walking away.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Learning to Trust Love (S2 Ep6)

Fri, 03 Oct 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse

Q "What I’m currently struggling with is this pattern I have where if there is a pause in our physical intimacy due to life stress or other circumstances I feel incredibly afraid and triggered into feeling worthless and think our relationship is doomed."

In this deeply moving episode, we explore the lasting impact of childhood trauma on even the healthiest adult relationships. A listener grew up with a covertly narcissistic mother, being placed in the “gilded child” role, and enduring emotional enmeshment and covert sexual abuse. After confronting her past and investing in recovery, she finds herself triggered by fears of abandonment and worthlessness whenever intimacy shifts in her relationship.

Together Ruth and I unpack how childhood wounds can resurface in adult partnerships, why healing can feel like a maze, and what tangible, actionable, steps can help move from old patterns of survival into deeper connection and trust.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

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BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Can she change? (S2 Ep5)

Fri, 26 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0100

These weeks listener asks these 3 questions

Is it unrealistic to expect her to change?
How do I get her voice out of my head that I’m in the wrong?
Have others found a way to be in a relationship with a mother with narcissistic tendencies

Listen as Ruth & Katie unpack these questions and what they really mean for your healing, your boundaries, and your sense of self.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Responsibility, Triggers and Fears (S2 E4)

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0100

How do we learn to parent, or even reparent ourselves, if we never had a model of healthy parenting?

In this week’s episode, we explore three powerful themes: our responsibility as parents, how to navigate our own triggers, and whether it’s really possible to “overlove” a child and risk raising a narcissist.

We also share some of our own fears and struggles, and offer practical, tangible advice on how to navigate these challenges with more confidence and compassion.

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www.callaghancounselling.ie

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Is There Hope with My Enabling Parent? (S2 E3)

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0100

This week’s listener has worked hard to build a life where she feels confident, loved, and free to be herself. But when she begins to hold her boundaries, her mother shows her true colours and the cracks in the family dynamic become impossible to ignore.

Her enabling father seems to make attempts at connection, but the question remains: How do you confront parents about the pain they’ve caused, without losing yourself in the process?

If you would like us to answer your question email beyond_survival@outlook.com

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Dr. Ruth Callaghan's Website

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Toxic Guilt: Why it still feels like my fault (S2 Ep2)

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Toxic guilt is that heavy, misplaced guilt that convinces us we’ve done something wrong, even when we haven’t. It’s one of the hardest legacies of childhood trauma, and it can follow us into adulthood, shaping how we see ourselves and our relationships.

In this episode of Beyond Survival, I read a letter from a listener who grew up in a large Irish family that looked perfect from the outside but was full of harmful behaviour and manipulation behind closed doors. Now, years later, the hardest thing to shake isn’t her mother's death, it’s the toxic guilt that still whispers she did something wrong.

Dr. Ruth Callaghan and I explore why guilt sticks so stubbornly for survivors of dysfunctional families, and what it takes to begin letting go of a weight that was never really ours to carry.

If you want us to answer your question on the Podcast email; beyond_survival@outlook.com

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https://www.callaghancounselling.ie/

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

The Fixer’s Trap (S2 Ep1)

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In series 2 of Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Ruth Callaghan where we explore two powerful listener questions.

First, how can you be a better parent when you’ve grown up as a “fawn type” people-pleaser, and why do your underlying motivations matter so much?

Then, we dive into the challenge of managing intrusive, compulsive thoughts - the constant urge to help, fix, or rescue others. We’ll unpack what’s really driving these patterns, and share insights on how to respond with more clarity, balance, and self-compassion.

If you want us to answer your question on the Podcast email; beyond_survival@outlook.com

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https://www.callaghancounselling.ie/

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.10- 'Breaking The Cycle' with Maggie Nick

Fri, 22 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0100

This week I’m joined by Maggie Nick, a recovering burned-out overachiever, people-pleaser, perfectionist, pushover, and shape-shifting chameleon, what she calls a Recovering Good Kid.

Now a trauma therapist, parenting expert, and cycle-breaking mother, Maggie knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up as “the one nobody ever needed to worry about.” For years, she thought her perfectionism and people-pleasing were simply part of her personality, until therapy at 25 revealed they were actually lifelong relational trauma responses.

In this episode, we dive into what relationships look like after trauma, the challenges and breakthroughs of parenting after trauma, and how to begin breaking free from old survival patterns to build something new.

Maggie Nick, LCSW, MSW

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Learn more about Maggie's Camp Loveable and her other offerings here.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.9- What do I need?

Fri, 15 Aug 2025 07:00:00 +0100

When you grow up in a dysfunctional family system, you are conditioned to silence your needs to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or gain approval. Over time, it can feel impossible to even recognise what you truly want or need. In this solo episode, I discuss how that conditioning takes root, how to start recognising the needs you’ve been taught to ignore, and how to meet them in ways that feel safe, nourishing, and free from guilt or shame.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.8- Relentless Whispers

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In this solo episode, I explore the relentless whispers of the inner critic - that constant, internal voice that undermines, judges, and shames. I delve into where it comes from, how it develops (especially in childhood), and what function it might have served. Most importantly, I share practical ways to challenge, quiet, and reduce its power so you can start relating to yourself with more compassion and clarity.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.7- 'The Cult of Family' with Daniella Mestyanek Young

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0100

The Cult of Family explores the reality of growing up in a narcissistic system that demands silence, obedience, and self-erasure.

In this episode, I sit down with Daniella, a scholar of cults, extreme groups and extremely bad leadership, who also brings her own lived experience of being raised in a cult. Together, we unpack the unsettling parallels between cults and narcissistic families; the control, the domination, the rigid rules, how perception is distorted, and how identity is supressed in the name of loyalty and “love.”

But this conversation goes deeper than the system, it asks; What happens after you leave?

We discuss the lasting psychological impact, how these environments stunt development and self-trust, and what it really takes to heal. We explore the blocks that so often emerge in recovery, shame, confusion, disconnection, and how to start rebuilding a self that was never allowed to fully form.

This conversation is for anyone who’s broken free, or is beginning to, and is asking: What now?

Click here to follow Daniella on TikTok

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BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.6- 'Never Enough' with Claire Fealy

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0100

Exploring the Fear beneath Perfectionism and High Achievement

In this deep dive, Podcast Host & Mindset Coach Claire Fealy joins me to unpack the fear that hides beneath high achievement and perfectionism, and how we can begin to heal what's really driving it.

We identify the inner critc and discuss the hidden beliefs driving our anxiety, how fear often masks deeper emotional wounds, and what it really takes to move past survival mode and step into a more intentional life, especially for those of us who grew up in dysfunctional or emotionally unsafe environments.

Find Claire on Instagram

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.5- Empathy Without Enmeshment

Fri, 18 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0100

If you grew up in a narcissistic or emotionally chaotic household, chances are you were taught to feel for others, but not for yourself.

In this episode, we’re unpacking what empathy actually is, why it often gets distorted in dysfunctional families, and how to reclaim it as something healthy, mutual, and safe.

We explore the three different types of empathy, how it becomes weaponised or used against you in toxic dynamics, and why so many survivors struggle with people-pleasing, guilt, and emotional burnout. This isn’t about turning off your empathy, it’s about practising discernment in who you give your empathy to, and learning to turn it back toward yourself.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.4- The Invisible Wounds of Childhood

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In this solo episode, I'm exploring the invisible wounds that form in childhood when you're raised in dysfunctional or narcissistic family systems — ranging from hyper-dependence to hyper-independence — and how these patterns follow us into adulthood.

I’ll also talk about the roots of these behaviours, including parentification and unhealthy parental dynamics, and offer ways to begin challenging these conditioned responses without becoming overwhelmed.

Tune in to recognise if you’re still in survival mode, or to reflect on how far you’ve already come.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.3- ‘External Control’ with Adele Martelle (Part 2)

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 07:00:00 +0100

Control is everywhere, often disguised as protection, tradition or morality!

This is part 2 with Adele Martelle, where we're unpacking the subtle and not-so-subtle way control operates with society and religion. From rigid belief systems to social expectations that suppress individuality, we explore how control can disconnect us from our inner knowing, limit personal freedom and keep entire communities in cycles of fear, shame, and silence. If you've ever felt the need to "stay in line", this ones for you.

Adele is a somatic oriented psychotherapist, certified trauma professional, public speaker, and spiritual integrationist. She is the owner of SOMA therapy and Wellness. A psychotherapy group practice that focuses on the neurobiological healing of trauma and relationships through experiential therapy. She is the creator and director of SOMA's community wellness program that makes experiential healing accessible to everyone through equity based workshops.

https://www.somatherapyandwellness.com/

https://adelemartelle.com/

@somatherpayandwellness

@adelemartellit

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.2- 'How to Build Trust' with Adele Martelle (Part 1)

Fri, 04 Jul 2025 06:00:00 +0100

How do we lose touch with who we really are?

This week I am delighted to be joined by Adele Martelle, who specialises in treating complex CPTSD and Religious Trauma. In part one, we dive into how early attachment dynamics can lead us to disconnect from our needs, our instincts and our inner knowing. We'll explore how survival often meant adapting, people-pleasing, or self-abandoning, and what it actually take to rebuild trust within ourselves.

This is a conversation about coming home to your body, your boundaries, and ways to rebuild trust, that was often eroded or annihilated in childhood.

https://www.somatherapyandwellness.com

https://adelemartelle.com/

@somatherapyandwellness

@adelemartellit

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Ep.1 - 'Coercive Control' with Ann Larkin

Fri, 27 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In this powerful episode I’m joined by Ann Larkin, CEO from Women's Aid Dundalk, to explore the insidious nature of coercive control in romantic relationships.

We discuss how coercive control can look in everyday life, the emotional and psychological tactics abusers use to maintain power, and why it’s so often misunderstood or overlooked. Whether you're looking to understand your own experience more deeply or support someone you care about, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and crucial insights.

While abuse can exist in any dynamic—friendships, families, workplaces—this conversation focuses on male-perpetrated abuse against women, based on the real-life experiences of those seeking support from Women’s Aid.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Introduction

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 06:00:00 +0100

In this first episode, I’m introducing Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast and sharing more about who this space is for and what you can expect from future episodes.

I’ll tell you a little bit about myself, my work as a psychotherapist, and the common patterns I’ve seen in people who grew up in emotionally immature, narcissistic parents & dysfunctional families — many of whom don’t realise how deeply their childhood still affects their adult relationships, nervous systems, and sense of self.

This podcast is a space for compassion, learning, and real conversations. We’ll explore family dysfunction, trauma recovery, relationships, nervous system healing, and how to move from just surviving to truly living. You’ll hear from guests, experts, and people who’ve walked the path themselves — and sometimes, just me, sharing insights from my work and lived experience.

If you’ve ever felt like something was “off” in your life but couldn’t quite explain why — this is for you.

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast