CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT

Therapists React to Shameless and What the Show Gets Right About Parentification

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney is joined by therapist Emma Mahony to break down one of the most unflinching portrayals of a parentified child on television: Fiona Gallagher from Shameless. Through neglect, addiction, manipulation, and moments of genuine heartbreak, they explore what it does to a child when taking care of your family becomes your entire identity.

Emma Mahony is a mental health therapist based in London whose work centers on helping people understand the patterns they grew up with and how to move toward healthier, more conscious relationships with themselves and others.

Emma’s website: https://www.ecmtherapy.co/

Emma’s IG: emma.in.therapy

Emma’s TikTok: @emma.mahony

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Choosing Not to Reconcile with a Family Member

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Not every relationship can be repaired, and not every relationship should be. In this episode, Whitney validates the decision to walk away from a family relationship for good and gives you the language to hold that boundary when the people around you won't stop pushing you to reconcile.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Therapists React to Succession and What the Show Gets Right About Narcissistic Parents

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney is joined by therapist Stephanie Lindeman to break down the Roy family from the HBO Max show Succession. Succession is one of the most psychologically precise portrayals of a narcissistic patriarch on television. Together Whitney and Stephanie explore what happens to adult children who spend their lives trying to win approval from a parent who is constantly playing a game that no one else can ever win.

Stephanie’s website:

https://www.alifeworthsharing.com/about

Stephanie’s IG:

@steph_the_attachment_therapist

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Your Parent Denies Your Memories

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

When you bring up a painful memory and your parents say it never happened, it can feel like you're losing your mind. Whitney explains the science behind why parents and children encode the same events differently. But how do you tell the difference between that and a parent who refuses to let your reality exist?

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I'm Glad My Mom Died" By Jeanette McCurdy, Emotionally Immature Moms, Boundary-Ignoring Gifts

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney breaks down Jeanette McCurdy's interview on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy. She discusses enmeshment, parentification and the painful process of accepting that a parent was abusive. Then she answers a listener question about an emotionally immature mother who insists on playing best friend and family authority at the same time.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

01:27 Jeanette McCurdy's Story

18:32 Listener Question

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Toxic Mothers with Patrick Teahan | Therapists React to Animal Kingdom

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney is joined by therapist Patrick Teahan to break down one of the most diabolically toxic mother figures on television: Smurf from Animal Kingdom.

Follow Patrick

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patrickteahanofficial

Instagram: @patrickteahanofficial

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are Therapists Biased Against Estranged Parents?

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Why aren’t therapists centering estranged parents at least as equally as their children? Whitney breaks down what bias actually means in a clinical context.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Not to Apologize

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Most apologies aren’t great and sometimes even make things worse. If you've ever given or received an "I'm sorry" that left you feeling dissatisfied, Whitney walks through the three-part anatomy of an apology that will help get your relationship back on track.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Estranged Parents Keep Threatening to Report Me

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:59:47 GMT

Whitney addresses something that's been getting to her: the constant threats from estranged parents that they're reporting her to the licensing board. Then she answers two listener questions.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:10 Therapists losing their license

12:32 Listener question #1

20:56 Listener question #2

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Enmeshed Parents: What You Can Do About It

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

What do enmeshed relationships actually look like? Why do parents become enmeshed with their kids? And what can you do about it? If you've ever felt like you can't hear yourself think, you're expected to be your parent's therapist or partner, or missing a weekly dinner feels like betraying the family, this episode is for you.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: Pregnancy During Estrangement, Emotionally Unavailable Parents, and the Viral Chinese App “Are You Dead?”

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney answers two listener questions about family relationships that don't go full no-contact but are also deeply dysfunctional. She also discusses a viral Chinese app called "Are You Dead?"

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

1:12 The viral "Are You Dead?" app from China

06:24 Listener question #1

14:42 Listener question #2

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I Have a Confession

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney has taken estranged parents' bait for the last time, and it's time to set the record straight.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boundary Violations During Crisis and Parents Who Refuse Therapy

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney answers two listener questions about harm that happened during a crisis and harm that accumulated over years. One listener is navigating repeated boundary violations from in-laws during her husband's medical emergency while postpartum—and her husband doesn't remember any of it. The other was cut off by parents who refused therapy, yet they tell everyone she initiated no contact.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Parental Rejection Embeds Into Your Nervous System

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Parental rejection hurts more than almost any other kind of rejection, and it’s a pain that doesn't dissolve with age. If you've ever minimized what happened by saying "they just weren't that affectionate" or wondered why you can't just get over it, this episode reveals the research-backed truth about how early rejection embeds itself into your nervous system, personality, and every relationship you have as an adult.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

College Students Going No Contact With Their Parents

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney responds to a Facebook post from parents who feel blindsided by their college-age child who suddenly asks for no contact. She breaks down how the wrong response from parents can push the relationship toward permanent estrangement.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Parenting Has Changed and Isn't Going Back

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

If you've ever felt like the relationship you have with your parents or with your adult child looks completely different from the one that your parents had with their parents, you’re not imagining it. Whitney explores why relationships between generations have fundamentally changed over the last 30 years and why they're probably not going back.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reacting to Real Letters from Estranged Parents to Their Children

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney reviews anonymous letters written by estranged parents to their adult children. She identifies patterns of spiritual bypassing disguised as kindness, conditional accountability, minimization of harm, defensive anger masked as concern, and comparison used as manipulation. This isn't about shaming anyone; it's about naming what's happening beneath the surface so you can better understand your own experience with estrangement.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex

family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Introduction: Reviewing real letters from estranged parents

02:01 Letter 1

13:20 Letter 2

19:40 Letter 3

25:56 Letter 4

35:21 Conclusion

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Surface Level Relationships Might Actually Be a Good Idea

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney challenges the idea that all family relationships need to be deep, emotional, and vulnerable. “Strategic authenticity” is the idea of intentionally choosing what parts of yourself to share with certain family members. She discusses how to tell if a surface level dynamic is even possible for you. Surface level relationships don’t have to be about being fake rather protecting yourself while maintaining a sense of connection without full estrangement.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

9:59 When a surface level relationship is worth trying

13:04 Cost benefit analysis of relationships

20:29 Temporarily surface level

22:26 Should I tell them I want a surface level relationship

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Q&A: The Authoritarian Parenting Style

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney defines what authoritarian parenting actually is (beyond just being strict), explores how it's rooted in control rather than raising independent humans, and explains why these parents struggle when their children develop agency and can no longer be controlled the same way. If you have an inkling that your family of origin might have been drawing on some of the principles of authoritarian parenting this might be a useful listen. Whitney also answers a listener's question about coming to terms about accepting an uninvolved parent.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to ⁠whitney@callinghome.co⁠

⁠Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

02:00 What authoritarian parenting actually is (and isn't)

07:20 When you can’t be controlled anymore

12:45 How authoritarian parents respond to loss of control

24:43 Listener question

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Therapists React to Gilmore Girls: Mother-in-Laws, Enmeshment, and Money

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 17:11:31 GMT

Whitney brings on Amanda White from Therapy for Women to react to the most requested show from her audience, you guessed it: Gilmore Girls. They break down season one, episode 18 "The Third Lorelai," analyzing the dynamic between four generations of women—Emily, Lorelai, and Rory plus the chaotic arrival of Emily's mother-in-law Trix. Even if you haven’t seen Gilmore Girls or this episode, Whitney and Amanda explore the universal experiences of being controlled by a matriarch, how emotional distance in one generation can create enmeshment in the next which in turn can cause estrangement in the next, and the weaponization of money and gifts in family dynamics.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Amanda’s website: https://therapyforwomencenter.com/therapist/amanda-e-white-lpc/

Therapy for Women IG: https://www.instagram.com/therapyforwomencenter

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

04:00 Scene 1: Emily loses control when her mother-in-law visits

07:12 Scene 2: Money as connection and control

23:04 Scene 3: Weaponizing gifts and criticism

440:54 Scene 4: Lorelai’s insecurity

49:21 The dinner table scale

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Stop Waiting for Your Family to Change

Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT

It’s 2026. If nothing changed in your family dynamic by the end of the year, would you be okay with that? How about five years from now? Whitney has a firm but loving message for anyone who's been collecting knowledge and awareness about their family dysfunction but stuck in that frustrating feeling of not knowing how to take action. She challenges you to recognize how much time, energy, and mental space your family's chaos is consuming and to stop waiting for other people to change before you can move forward.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

02:37 Insight without action sucks

04:09 The daily toll of family dysfunction

12:01 The overintellectualizing plateau

18:22 If nothing changed in five years

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Oprah’s Estrangement Podcast and the Mel Robbins’ NYT Article

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney is fired up about Oprah’s recent podcast about going no contact. She also responds to a Mel Robbins/Karl Pillemer article titled "Life is Too Short to Fight With Your Family." She breaks down why these narratives are harmful, who they're really speaking to (and who they're ignoring), and the problematic assumptions embedded in questions like "where did you get this idea from?” Whitney challenges the toxic positivity of telling people to accept mistreatment from family, questions why we're not writing these articles to Uncle Joe who's being racist at Thanksgiving, and explains why "just accept and move on" advice completely misses the mark.Oprah’s podcast: Oprah Explores the Rising Trend of Going No Contact with Your FamilyMel Robbin and Karl Pillemer article: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/opinion/thanksgiving-family-fighting.html

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

03:31 Oprah’s podcast

45:05 The Mel Robbins’ NYT article

58:15 Taking a break in December

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Therapists React to Television’s Most Dysfunctional Holiday Dinner

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Kate Gray (@codependencykate) is back with Whitney to react to one of the most iconic dysfunctional holiday dinners ever depicted on television: “Fishes” from The Bear (S2E06). They break down the infamous episode scene by scene, analyzing how anxiety manifests differently in each of the three siblings, Mikey, Natalie, and Carmy, in reaction to an emotionally volatile mother, Donna. Even if you haven’t seen the episode, you will almost certainly find a way to relate to Whitney and Kate’s breakdown of holiday gatherings and the ways we so often find ourselves trapped in roles we thought we'd escaped.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

02:44 Episode setup

09:58 The kitchen scene

18:38 Natalie and Donna

28:59 Dining room scene

41:28 Mikey throwing forks at Uncle Lee

46:47 Donna loses it at the dinner table

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Q&A: All Her Fault Analysis, Why Therapy Speak Backfires, and Mothers Who Compete with Daughters

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney addresses one of her recent viral posts about why using therapy speak with family often causes more problems than is useful. She also breaks down a scene from the Peacock show "All Her Fault" about parentified sibling dynamics. Then she answers to listener’s questions about different sibling reactions to a narcissistic family and a mother’s competition with her daughter.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:55 Why you shouldn't call your parents emotionally immature

05:54 Breaking down a scene from Peacock’s All Her Fault

13:45 Listener question #1

18:22 Listener question #2

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Choosing Your Own Life and Letting Go of Guilt

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Feeling guilty is one of the most common struggles for people stepping away from a dysfunctional family. Whitney explores how guilt is a learned response, not necessarily an evidence of wrongdoing, and why you were trained to believe that meeting your own needs harms others. She discusses the difference between guilt and grief, how family members use guilt to pull you back in, and offers practical tools for moving forward and coming to terms with these feelings.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

1:19 Why guilt shows up when you start doing life differently

03:04 Guilt is a learned response, not evidence of wrongdoing

12:22 Decentering

20:33 Statements for feelings of guilt

26:17 Building a life where you feel safe and supported

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A Holiday Pep Talk

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:30:00 GMT

Whether you're skipping the family gathering, still debating about whether to show up, locked in for a chair-arm-gripping dinner, or spending the day alone, Whitney has a few tips for getting through the next 24 hours.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

02:44 Shut the door on social media that will only make it worse

05:40 Practice radical acceptance of your situation

07:08 Expect people to be who they've always been

08:00 Protect your peace by only engaging where you need to

10:54 You're allowed to have a good time

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Reacting to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives with Samantha Dalton

Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney teams up with Samantha Dalton, group facilitator at Calling Home and host of the Nuance Needed podcast, to unpack season three of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. As someone who grew up in the Mormon church and is still actively deconstructing, Samantha provides invaluable cultural context for understanding the relational patterns, power dynamics, and trauma responses playing out in the show. They explore how religion and culture interweave to shape everything from marriages and gender roles to emotional maturity and family loyalty, and how even reality tv moments can create powerful moments of destigmatization and healing for viewers who have dealt with similar experiences.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Content warning: This episode discusses childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, emotional abuse, and complicated relationship dynamics.

00:00 Introduction and content warning

01:43 Samantha's deconstruction journey

05:57 How Mormonism gets woven into every aspect of life

12:34 Early marriage and the impact on emotional development

23:51 Dad talk and coming to terms with their wives’ success

34:48 Therapy culture in the show

57:24 The power and consequences of sharing trauma on reality tv

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Q&A: Sister Wives' Kody Brown, The Necessary Conversation Podcast, In-Laws Rejecting Adopted Child

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney answers two listener questions that explore complex family dynamics and different responses to dysfunction. The first question comes from someone navigating estrangement from in-laws who rejected their adopted teenager. The second is about what happens when siblings respond differently to the same dysfunctional family system. Whitney also discusses a moment from the show Special Forces where Kody Brown, a TV personality known from the show Sister Wives, takes accountability for his mistakes as a parent. Whitney also reacts to a recent post from Chad and Haley Kultgen from The Necessary Conversation podcast.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Introduction and episode overview

01:40 Special Forces and Sister Wives analysis

08:28 The Necessary Conversation analysis

17:43 Caller question #1

25:07 Caller question #2

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Unfollowing Mom with Harriet Shearsmith

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney shares an interview with Harriet Shearsmith, author of "Unfollowing Mum: Break Unhealthy Patterns and be the Parent You Wish You’d Had" and host of the Unfollowing Mum podcast. Harriet opens up about her journey from being completely enmeshed with her mother who lived with Harriet, her husband and three children to eventually becoming estranged after asking her mom to find her own home. They discuss the challenges of recognizing abuse in your own family system, the societal guilt of cutting contact with a parent, cycle breaking with your own children, and how to repair when you make mistakes with your own children.

Harriet's new book: https://amzn.to/43vKLFO

Harriet's website: https://harrietshearsmith.com/

Harriet's Instagram: @harrietshearsmith

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Send a voice memo or email to whitney@callinghome.co

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Introduction to Harriet Shearsmith and her work

01:43 Harriet's story

15:19 The societal guilt of questioning your parent's behavior

26:07 The difficulty of defining abuse

44:14 Raising children who know their worth

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The Truth About IFS: Analyzing the New York Magazine Article "The Therapy That Can Break You"

Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney unpacks a recent article from New York Magazine: “The Therapy That Can Break You” about Internal Family Systems (IFS) and what can go wrong when trauma treatment crosses ethical lines. She discusses the dangers of working with fragile populations without proper training, and what to watch for when working with different therapeutic modalities. She then answers two listener questions about navigating estrangement as the family scapegoat and balancing support for a depressed parent without losing yourself.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhitFollow

Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

01:06 Introduction to IFS therapy and The Cut article

02:49 What went wrong at Castlewood Treatment Center

09:52 Believing victims and the reality of false memories

18:08 The need for stabilization when working with trauma

25:51 Listener question 1: Navigating estrangement as the family scapegoat

31:32 Listener question 2: Supporting a depressed parent without losing yourself

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Analyzing Family Dysfunction in the Netflix Series "Nobody Wants This"

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney launches a new series exploring family dynamics in pop culture, starting with Netflix's "Nobody Wants This." Joined by Meg Josephson, author of the New York Times bestseller "Are You Mad at Me?", she breaks down the clash between Noah's enmeshed, guilt-driven Jewish family led by his controlling mother Bina, and Joanne's emotionally distant family that hides behind humor. They discuss what happens when parents fuse their identity with their children, the difference between closeness and enmeshment, how cultural expectations complicate boundaries, and whether you'd actually want to sit down at this family's dinner table.

Connect with Meg:https://megjosephson.com/

Order Meg’s new book:https://amzn.to/47tyvIi

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Introducing Whitney’s new series

03:49 Character overview

09:07 When Bina’s identity gets fused with her son

14:39 Closeness and enmeshment

27:51 Bina confronts Joanne

34:15 Joanne at Shabbat scene

50:55 The dinner table scale

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Q&A: Reconnecting After No Contact

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney answers two listener questions that share a theme: how do you protect your peace while staying connected to difficult family relationships? The first question explores reconnecting with in-laws after a year and a half of no contact—when is it safe to reopen that door, and how do you move forward without reopening old wounds? The second addresses hosting family in your new home when one relative consistently disrespects boundaries and your independence. Both questions wrestle with the tension between honoring your growth and navigating relationships with people who haven't changed.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

01:14 Question 1: Reconnecting with in-laws after no contact

09:06 A few possibilities of what might happen here

11:59 Question 2: Hosting family when one relative disrespects boundaries

14:07 Potential outcomes of setting boundaries with the problem relative

17:56 Connect with the Family Cycle Breakers Club

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For Everyone Who Had to Grow Up Too Fast

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney explores parentification—what happens when children become caregivers, mediators, and "responsible ones" long before they're ready. Whitney shares research on how early caregiving shapes us, when it becomes harmful versus adaptive, and how to transform childhood survival skills into adult strengths without carrying the weight of obligation. She also breaks down the scene between Brittany and her estranged daughter on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:16 Breaking down the estrangement scene on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

13:27 What is parentification and why does it happen?

17:19 The adaptive strengths of parentification

22:11 The maladaptive consequences of early caregiving

25:48 Transforming survival skills into strengths you choose

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Are Therapists Encouraging Estrangement?

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney tackles an increasingly persistent narrative about family estrangement: therapists are encouraging people to cut ties from their families. Drawing from hundreds of responses from her audience—including adult children and estranged parents—she examines what actually happens in therapy rooms and whether the notion of a "secret underground movement" of therapists pushing estrangement holds up to scrutiny. She also answers a listener question about breaking cycles of reconciliation and abuse with a verbally abusive parent.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Are therapists encouraging estrangement?

02:22 The origins of this question and why it matters

05:58 What actually happens in therapy rooms

14:45 The difference between support and persuasion

29:19 Criticisms of therapists

39:31 Listener question: Breaking the cycle with a verbally abusive parent

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Love the Teen You Have with Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney sits down with Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a pediatric psychologist and author of the new book "Love the Teen You Have," to discuss practical strategies for parenting teens and pre-teens. They explore why the teenage years can be so challenging for parents, how to navigate individuation and identity development, and actionable tools for transforming conflict into connection—including how to handle difficult conversations about topics like sex, social media, and diverging values.

Order Dr. Lockhart's new book: https://amzn.to/4hxwTQX

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Introduction to Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart and "Love the Teen You Have"

03:23 Why it's hard to parent the kid in front of you

05:40 Understanding individuation and teen identity development

12:09 Why connection matters more than control

20:38 Handling difficult conversations with your teen

36:20 Conversations about sex, drugs, social media, and other uncomfortable topics

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Parenting Doesn't End

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney responds to a question from a recent controversial TikTok post: Are you a parent forever? What does it mean to be a parent across the entire lifespan? Should parenting meaningful shift at age 18 or at some point beyond? Do parent-child relationships become equal peer relationships in adulthood?

Then Whitney answers a question from a parent who isn’t sure how to interact with her adult son and daughter-in-law who have a newfound faith that has taken a more fundamental edge.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

November at Calling Home is all about parentification. Learn more at: https://callinghome.co/topics

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

03:08 Are You a Parent Forever?

07:04 What It Means to Lead as a Parent

14:39 Hierarchy in Parent Child Relationships

19:01 Q&A: Navigating Religious and Value Conflicts with Adult Children

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You, Your Husband, and His Mother with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish

Tue, 21 Oct 2025 05:00:00 GMT

Whitney interviews Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, author of the new book "You, Your Husband, and His Mother” about navigating mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. They discuss why this dynamic is so challenging, the scapegoating of daughters-in-law, triangulation of husbands/partners, the difference between setting boundaries and being controlling, and a few practical strategies for surviving the holidays together.

Connect with Dr. Tracy: https://www.drtracyd.com/

Preorder her new book: https://amzn.to/4hixF49

00:00 Why the Mother-in-Law Dynamic Is So Common

04:44 The Abandonment Wound

07:04 The Scapegoating of Daughters-in-Law

12:01 Abusive Daughter-In-Laws?

18:54 The Husband's Critical Role in the Triangle

24:09 Death by a Thousand Paper Cuts

28:24 Psychological Conflict Between Women

32:25 Practical Boundaries and Mindset Shifts for the Holidays

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Real Housewives Scene That Should Be Shown in Graduate School

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney analyzes scenes from Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Love Is Blind to explore mother-daughter estrangement, purity culture shame, and how parents either repair or double down decades after causing harm. She breaks down Whitney Rose's advice to an at-risk mother, Bronwyn's devastating conversation with her mom about pregnancy shame, and two different paths to reconciliation in Love is Blind.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

00:00 Using reality tv to understand real family dynamics

03:57 Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

15:45 The devastating scene between Bronwyn and her mom

27:45 Bronwyn’s mom doubles down

36:28 A missed opportunity to heal decades of hurt

39:20 Love Is Blind

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hallmarks of a Functional Family

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Build a more functional family today. In this episode, Whitney breaks down the hallmarks of functional families, how these skills can be learned regardless of how you grew up, and practical steps to get started.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

00:00 Introduction: What Functional Families Actually Look Like

02:31 Admitting When There Are Problems

03:51 Open Communication and Repair

04:37 Being Known Without Performance

05:17 Reliability and Dependability

05:57 Zero Abuse or Neglect

07:21 Unconditional Belonging

09:14 Small Actions You Can Start Today

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parentification and the Price of Being the Problem Solver

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney shares three life-changing practices that reduced her anxiety—meditation with red light therapy, using Brick to limit social media, and consuming news only in written form. She then answers a caller's question about being the parentified golden child expected to solve all family problems while maintaining surface-level relationships with a mother and sisters who refuse deeper connection.

Red light therapy: https://amzn.to/48i5OyN

00:00 October at Calling Home: Illness and End of Life Caregiving

04:40 Three Changes That Dramatically Reduced My Anxiety

14:28 Q&A: The Golden Child Who Had to Solve Everything

19:28 When Children Are Trapped Between Victim and Perpetrator Parents

22:51 The Golden Child Who Doesn't Feel Golden

25:42 How to Maintain Relationships Without Real Connection

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Parent Differently Without Overcorrecting with Dr. Juli Fraga

Tue, 07 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman interviews psychologist Dr. Julie Fraga about her book "Parents Have Feelings Too." They discuss how parents can process their own emotions, break cycles of guilt and perfectionism, use the Change Triangle to understand their feelings, and teach emotional intelligence to their children—all while navigating the challenge of parenting differently than they were raised.

00:00 The Shift from Fixing Kids to Supporting Parents

04:26 Managing Parental Guilt

09:11 Getting Ahead of Overstimulation as a Parent

15:37 Breaking Intergenerational Patterns Without Overcorrecting

20:24 The Change Triangle

25:10 Why Kids' Emotions Make Parents Uncomfortable

30:18 Finding Joy in Parenting

Dr. Juli's Website: https://www.drjulifraga.com/

Order her new book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/788442/parents-have-feelings-too-by-hilary-jacobs-hendel/

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: Becoming Like Your Parent

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney explores patterns around adult children who mimic their parents' harmful behaviors, the complexities of maintaining boundaries when a parent struggles with addiction, and how illness can be weaponized in estranged families. In the Q&A, she answers a caller's question about navigating grandparent illness during estrangement.

00:00 Introduction: Darker Family Patterns

02:59 Airport Observation: When Adult Children Treat Parents Like They Were Treated

08:11 Real Housewives SLC: How to Show Up for a Child Struggling with Addiction

10:55 Q&A: When Grandparent Illness Becomes a Manipulation Tactic

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Analyzing Prime Video's The Girlfriend | Mother-Son Enmeshment and Emotional Incest

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney analyzes the Amazon Prime show "The Girlfriend" to explore mother-son enmeshment and emotional incest. She analyzes how the show illustrates blurred boundaries, guilt and manipulation, marital dysfunction, and the devastating long-term impacts on sons' ability to form healthy romantic relationships, connecting the fictional dynamics to real research on these family patterns.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

00:00 Introduction to The Girlfriend and Mother-Son Enmeshment

04:00 Defining Emotional Incest and What It Looks Like

09:06 Power Assertion and Blocked Individuation

14:10 The Girlfriend as Both Rival and Mirror

17:25 How Marital Dysfunction Fuels Enmeshment

21:56 Why Enmeshed Sons Struggle with Adult Partnerships

25:12 Lies, Isolation, and the Ultimate Betrayal

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Break Up with the Rage Economy

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney reflects on how the "rage economy" of social media and news is destroying our mental health and capacity to connect with others. She explores how algorithms reward inflammatory content that keeps us trapped in cycles of anger and isolation. Later in the episode she highlights a positive example from Real Housewives of Orange County where a parent demonstrates accountability and course-correction in real time.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co or leave a voicemail to 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

00:00 The Rage Economy That's Destroying Our Mental Health

04:34 How Algorithms Reward Inflammatory Content Over Nuance

08:58 Breaking Free from the Cycle of Rage and Reactivity

12:34 When Sports Team Politics Replace Critical Thinking

16:35 Real Housewives Example: How to Course-Correct as a Parent

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Therapists Analyze the Viral Estranged Parents Video

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman teams up with therapist Kate Gray (@codependencykate) to analyze a viral YouTube video from an estranged parent with over 1.2 million views. They break down common patterns of defensiveness, emotional neglect, and deflection that prevent reconciliation, offering insights for both estranged adult children and estranged parents on how these dynamics play out and what healthier approaches might look like.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co or leave a voicemail to 866-225-5466

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

00:00 Introduction and Disclaimers About Analyzing Real People

05:24 The Politics Defense and Minimizing the Daughter’s Letter

13:53 Empty Gestures vs. Real Connection

26:45 The Birthday Martyrdom and Drama Triangle

34:06 Public Betrayal

42:43 Ghosting vs. Setting Boundaries

53:54 Spiritual Bypassing and Avoiding Real Accountability

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The Enabling Parent Dilemma

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney breaks down dysfunctional family dynamics in Real Housewives of Miami and The Summer I Turned Pretty, then answers a caller's question about healing from the pain of having an enabling parent who failed to protect them from an abusive narcissistic parent. Enabling parents are often harder to process than overtly abusive ones and Whitney details what finding acceptance actually looks like.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co or leave a voicemail to 866-225-5466

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Family Cycle Breakers Club Community Update

05:02 Real Housewives of Miami: When Parents Take Credit for Your Success

08:19 Family Estrangement After Late-Life Adoption

13:18 The Summer I Turned Pretty: Should Parents Boycott Major Life Events

16:22 Q&A: How to Heal From an Enabling Parent Who Never Protected You

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How the Fawn Response Outsmarts Danger with Dr. Ingrid Clayton

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman interviews Dr. Ingrid Clayton about her new book "Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves and How to Find Our Way Back." They explore fawning as the fourth trauma response, how it differs from people-pleasing and codependency, why children and marginalized people develop this survival strategy, and how it can masquerade as success while leading to complete self-abandonment.

Fawning: Why the Need to Please Makes Us Lose Ourselves-and How to Find Our Way Back https://www.ingridclayton.com/

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Dr. Clayton's Discovery of Fawning Through Her Own Trauma

04:26 Why Fawning Isn't About Shame - It's About Survival

09:00 How to Recognize Fawning in Your Own Life

12:16 The Connection Between Fawning and Family Estrangement

19:49 Fawning vs. People-Pleasing vs. Codependency

22:13 When Fawning Looks Like Success

27:46 Growing Out of the Fawning Response

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The Psychology Behind Netflix's Documentary: Unknown Number

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

SPOILER WARNING: This episode contains major spoilers for the Netflix documentary "Unknown Number: The High School Catfish"

Whitney analyzes the Netflix documentary by exploring the psychology behind extreme parental abuse and manipulation. She examines the case through the lens of child psychology, trauma bonding, and the devastating impact when a parent orchestrates elaborate schemes to control and isolate their child while positioning themselves as the sole source of comfort and support.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Introduction to the Unknown Number Case

08:11 The Shocking Revelation: When the Abuser Becomes the Comforter

15:27 Understanding Abusive Parents Who Don't See Themselves as Abusive

21:07 The Predatory Behavior and Hidden Motivations

23:26 Trauma Bonding and Why Children Protect Their Abusers

27:43 The Difficulty of Admitting Your Parent Harmed You

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The Divorce Myth: What Actually Harms Children vs. What Helps Them Heal with Michelle Dempsey-Multack

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney interviews Michelle Dempsey-Multack about how to protect children during divorce and co-parenting. They debunk the myth that divorce inherently harms children, exploring how the quality of the divorce experience—not the divorce itself—determines the impact on kids. The conversation includes practical strategies for healthy co-parenting, introducing new partners, and handling difficult conversations with children.
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Debunking Divorce Myths: It's About How You Handle It

02:45 Staying Together for the Kids vs. Healthy Single Parenting

08:00 How to Have a Good Divorce: Separating Emotions from Parenting

13:14 Speaking Poorly About the Other Parent and Its Long-Term Impact

20:16 Balancing Protection with Facilitating Relationships

33:11 Introducing New Partners: Timing and Red Flags

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How to Grow Up

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Too often the phrase “grow up” is code for ignoring your past and repressing your childhood trauma. This dismissive “get over it” mentality fails to ever reach a healthy emotional maturity. Join Whitney as she explores what it actually means to acknowledge your past, set boundaries, and embrace your adult power.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

00:00 What People Think Growing Up Means

04:22 The Real Process of Growing Up: Acknowledgment and Mourning

08:45 Decentering Unhealthy Relationships and the Double Bind

14:13 Taking Accountability as an Adult

16:54 Building Emotional Maturity and Self-Trust

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The Guilt of Calling Out Your Parents

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney responds to a thoughtful listener question about self-reflection in family relationships - specifically when calling out parents' hurtful behavior makes them withdraw and feel bad about themselves leading to guilt about whether you're part of the problem. She also discusses Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's engagement then explores troubling father-son enmeshment patterns she's observing in shows like McBee Dynasty.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

05:18 McBee Dynasty and Toxic Father-Son Dynamics

10:07 Family Secrets: September's Topic

14:52 When Parents Walk on Eggshells Around You

22:14 Q&A: How to Know If You're Part of the Problem

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Can Estranged Families Reconcile?

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Can estranged family relationships actually be repaired? Drawing from research on reconciliation, Whitney outlines the five core ingredients necessary for genuine repair - active empathetic listening, accountability, behavioral change, mutual willingness, and safety. Whitney distinguishes between genuine repair efforts and surface-level compliance, explains when relationships are likely unsalvageable, and provides practical guidance for assessing whether reconciliation is truly possible or if it's time to accept the relationship's limitations.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

03:42 The Five Core Ingredients of Family Repair

13:09 When Relationships Are Unsalvageable

23:05 Genuine Repair vs Surface-Level Compliance

28:33 Assessing Capacity for Change

https://callinghome.co/topics/family-estrangement/how-to-begin-reconciliation-with-an-estranged-family-member

https://callinghome.co/topics/family-estrangement/should-we-be-estranged-checklist

https://callinghome.co/topics/accepting-your-parents/i-m-estranged-from-my-dying-parent-should-i-reconnect-and-help-them

[1] Kelley, D. L., Waldron, V. R., & Kloeber, D. N. (2019). A Communicative Approach to Conflict, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/A-Communicative-Approach-to-Conflict-Forgiveness-and-Reconciliation-Reimagining-Our-Relationships/Kelley-Waldron-Kloeber/p/book/9781138052666?srsltid=AfmBOoq4iGgtwMAvbAv4-FKP9EOORNLadpnlRmmGIY_rXYPEvirm7Ymr

[2] Tomm, K. (2002). Enabling Forgiveness and Reconciliation in Family Therapy. The International Journal of Narrative Therapy and Community Work. https://dulwichcentre.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/13-KarlT2.pdf

[3] Blood, P. (2012). The Repair and Restoration of Relationships. In Springer eBook (pp. 349-370). https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-2147-0_17

[4] vanOyen Witvliet, C., Root Luna, L. M., Worthington, E. L., & Tsang, J. (2020). Apology and Restitution: The Psychophysiology of Forgiveness After Accountable Relational Repair Responses. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0091647120915181#:~:text=Abstract,promoting%20their%20empathy%20and%20forgiveness.

[5] Fishbane, M. D. (2019). Healing Intergenerational Wounds: An Integrative Relational–Neurobiological Approach. Family Process, 59(3), 1043-1063. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31518458/

[6] De Mol, J., Lemmens, G., Verhofstadt, L., & Kuczynski, L. (2013). Intergenerational transmission in a bidirectional context. Psychologica Belgica, 53(3), 7–23. https://doi.org/10.5334/pb-53-3-7

[8] Byng-Hall, J. (2008). The significance of children fulfilling parental roles: implications for family therapy. Journal of Family Therapy, 30(2), 147-162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6427.2008.00423.x
[9] Paleari, F. G., Tagliabue, S., & Lanz, M. (2011). Empathic Perspective Taking in Family Relationships: A Social Relations Analysis. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236587449_Empathic_Perspective_Taking_in_Family_Relationships_A_Social_Relations_Analysis

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Q&A: Always the Scapegoat, Never the Golden Child

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney reflects on the polarizing response to her recent "Dear Estranged Parents" episode and shares her feelings about being misunderstood while trying to help families. Later, she discusses reality TV dynamics from Real Housewives of Miami about family sacrifice and entitlement, then addresses a caller's question about why dysfunctional family roles like scapegoat and golden child aren't stable but shift throughout the life cycle of a family system.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

05:41 Reality TV and Family Sacrifice Dynamics

12:01 Family Secrets: Next Month's Topic

13:58 Why Family Roles Shift Throughout Life

18:40 When Everyone's a Scapegoat, No One's Golden

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Dear Estranged Parents

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney speaks directly to estranged parents from her experience working with hundreds of adult children who have cut contact with their families. She addresses common arguments from parents like "I have no idea why this happened," "I did the best I could," and "my children are remembering it wrong." She explains why these arguments often do more harm than good and offers alternative reframing that could open the door to genuine repair. This episode is for any estranged parents who genuinely desire to understand their adult children's perspectives and find a path toward authentic repair.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute

for professional mental health advice.

07:45 Argument #1: "I Have No Idea Why This Happened"

15:51 Argument #2: "How Will They Know I've Changed?"

22:08 Argument #3: "I Did the Best I Could"

27:24 Argument #4: "Family Should Always Stick Together"

31:21 Argument #5: "They're Remembering It Wrong"

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Q&A: When Your Family Wants You as Their Human Shield

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney addresses a caller whose siblings want them to attend their parents' 50th anniversary trip not out of love, but to serve as a buffer against their abusive parents' dysfunction - and how to handle the pressure when "no" isn't being accepted as an answer. She also discusses sibling dynamics from the Apple TV show "Smoke" and shares her experience with red light meditation for stress reduction.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Emotionally Mature Parents Raise Immature Kids?

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, Whitney responds to the question: can emotionally mature parents still raise emotionally immature adult children? She breaks down the research on emotional transmission from parent to child, examining the roles of modeling, contingency responses, and coaching. Whitney discusses how temperament, bidirectional influence, and developmental timing can complicate outcomes, while providing evidence-based strategies for fostering emotional maturity in yourself and your own (or prospective) children.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.coWhitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: All or Nothing Relationships with Emotionally Immature Parents

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney addresses a caller dealing with a mother who accuses her of being the toxic one while engaging in silent treatment and triangulation tactics. She discusses parents who weaponize big parenting gestures like Disney trips and birthday parties to deflect from daily emotional neglect. She also analyzes emotionally immature parenting through the lens of the TV series Friday Night Lights, examining how involved parents can still cause harm when their support is conditional on performance.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

02:37 Friday Night Lights and Conditional Love

08:11 Disney Trips vs. Daily Emotional Presence

13:14 When Your Parent Accuses You of Being Toxic

21:24 The All-or-Nothing Parent Dilemma

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Sibling Estrangement in Families with an Emotionally Immature Parent

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, Whitney explores why siblings from the same dysfunctional family often have completely different experiences and reactions to their emotionally immature parents. She breaks down the common dysfunctional family roles - golden child, scapegoat, lost child, parentified child, and enabler - and explains how these roles create lasting divisions between siblings in adulthood. Whitney then gives guidance on how siblings can come to terms with these different reactions to their different experiences.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

00:00 Why Siblings Experience the Same Parent Differently

03:19 The Five Dysfunctional Family Roles

07:29 How Childhood Roles Divide Adult Siblings

13:21 Accepting Different Healing Paths

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Q&A: AI Therapists, Reality TV, and Sibling Estrangement

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney discusses why AI can't replace real therapy and the privacy concerns with using ChatGPT for mental health support. Whitney also addresses a caller dealing with sibling estrangement - feeling alone and resentful when their brother cut off their emotionally immature mother while they chose to stay and work on the relationship.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Emotionally Immature Parent Assessment

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, Whitney introduces the upcoming August topic for the Family Cyclebreakers Club: adult children of emotionally immature parents. She walks listeners through an 18-question assessment to help identify if they have an emotionally immature parent, explains the key traits of emotional immaturity based on Dr. Lindsay Gibson's work, and discusses the common patterns adult children develop to survive these family systems.Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.coWhitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

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Q&A: Co-parenting with a Narcissist

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney addresses a caller's concerns about co-parenting with her ex-husband while he is living with his mother with whom he has an enmeshed relationship with and who has actively tried to sabotage their marriage in the past.

Have a question for Whitney? Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to whitney@callinghome.co

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Betrayal of the Enabling Parent

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, Whitney explores one of the most painful realizations in family healing: when the "safer" parent was also complicit in your harm. She breaks down the complex dynamics between enablers and abusers in narcissistic family systems, explains why enablers are both victims and perpetrators, and provides crucial questions to assess whether reconciliation is possible.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: My Mom Doesn't Want a Relationship

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney introduces a new TV pop culture segment, analyzing dysfunctional family dynamics in reality shows like Real Housewives of Miami and Love Island. She explores cultural expectations around who should maintain parent-child relationships and discusses the shift in generational attitudes toward supporting adult children's choices. Plus, Whitney addresses a caller question about a mother who explicitly states her unwillingness to be close to her daughter.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Family You Create with Sahil Bloom

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney sits down with entrepreneur and author Sahil Bloom to discuss his book "The Five Types of Wealth" and the powerful story of his parents choosing love over family approval. They explore how family estrangement shaped Sahil's understanding of what "family" really means, the toxic masculinity plaguing young men today, and why being a present father is the most fulfilling work he's ever done.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: Self-Diagnosis and Toxic Grandparents

Thu, 10 Jul 2025 22:10:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney explores the complexities of self-diagnosis, particularly around autism and neurodivergence, discussing when it can be helpful versus harmful and how to pursue formal diagnosis responsibly. She also addresses a caller's struggle with a narcissistic mother-in-law and provides practical advice for protecting children while navigating a spouse who isn't ready to set boundaries with their difficult parent.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How to Recognize a Narcissistic Family System

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, Whitney explores narcissistic family systems - what they look like, what they feel like, and what recovering from them might entail. She explore roles like the scapegoat and enabler, discusses why image matters more than authenticity in these families, and explains how the parenting styles of narcissistic parents create long-term, but not insurmountable, harm.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

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Q&A: Intent vs. Impact and Forget Them Kids

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, I explore a quote from the book Forget Them Kids authored by an estranged parent that perfectly illustrates how many parents use "good intentions" to avoid accountability. I then answer listener questions about reconciling family political differences and navigating coming out to unsupportive parents for a second time as an independent adult.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is "Therapy Speak" Out of Control? with Jacquelyn Tenaglia

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:00:00 GMT

I sat down with therapist and content creator Jacquelyn Tenaglia to discuss the rise of "therapy speak" online and in popular culture, how mental health terms are being misused and weaponized, and what to look for when consuming mental health content on social media. We explore the fine line between increased mental health awareness and the oversimplification of complex psychological concepts, plus red flags to watch for in mental health content creators.

Follow Jacquelyn on IG at no.bs.therapist

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club

⁠⁠⁠Follow Whitney on Instagram⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

⁠⁠Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How to Develop Emotional Closeness

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, I’m exploring how to develop emotional closeness in your relationships. I discuss why some people struggle with vulnerability, how emotional immaturity creates barriers to closeness, and practical ways to practice emotional connection. Some family members may never be capable of deep emotional intimacy. Developing emotional closeness for yourself often means accepting these limitations while still finding meaningful connections elsewhere.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

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Q&A: My In-Laws Say They'll Help But They Never Do

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, I’m addressing why some mothers copy their daughters' appearance and behavior and what to do when in-laws constantly offer help but never follow through. As part of my Little Epiphanies part of the show, I also discuss emotional immaturity and enmeshment in parent-child relationships as seen in the Netflix show "Ginny and Georgia.”

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466⁠⁠

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Take Care of Estranged and Distant Parents as They Age

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

What do you do when the person who needs care is someone who caused you significant harm? In this solo episode, I’m addressing what is probably one of the most dreaded dilemmas facing estranged adult children: how to navigate caring for aging parents. We’ll explore different types of care that are available for you to choose from and other complex emotional and practical considerations.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Connect with Whitney

⁠Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠

Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit

Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft

⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit ⁠podcast.choices.com/adchoices⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: A Family Secret Revealed & Boundaries with Mom

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 05:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, I’m discussing the discovery of sexual abuse in the family and providing practical advice for someone struggling with boundary violations from their mother. We explore the concept of true boundaries and concrete strategies when nice requests aren’t working.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Connect with Whitney

Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club⁠

⁠Follow Whitney on Instagram⁠

⁠Follow Whitney on YouTube⁠

⁠Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity⁠

Learn more about ad choices. Visit ⁠podcast.choices.com/adchoices⁠

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to Talk to Your Parents About Money with Etinosa Agbonlahor

Tue, 10 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney speaks with Etinosa Agbonlahor about navigating difficult financial conversations with parents. They discuss strategies for approaching retirement planning, setting financial boundaries with financially irresponsible parents, and handling the emotional complexity of money conversations that often involve mortality and family dynamics.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Connect with Etinosa

Book: "How to Talk to Your Parents About Money: A Short Practical Guide: Conversations That Build Peace, Confidence, and Financial Security” (available on Amazon)
Website: https://etinosaa.com/
Podcast: Her First House

Connect with Whitney

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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is There a Link Between Therapy Culture and Childlessness?

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this solo episode, Whitney critiques a New York Times opinion piece claiming therapy culture is linked to declining birth rates. Drawing from her work with populations of estranged adults and research for her upcoming book on parent-child estrangement, Whitney addresses harmful misconceptions about why adults choose to limit contact with parents.

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Necessary Conversation: How To Talk To Family With Different Political Beliefs

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This week, I sat down with siblings Haley and Chad from the Necessary Conversation Podcast. Each week, they sit down with their parents to talk about politics and they invite us to listen (to say their political beliefs differ would be quite the understatement). They discuss their temporary estrangement due to politics and why they continue to sit down every week to have these conversations.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: I Told My Sister The Truth About Our Abusive Parents

Thu, 29 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Hi! I'm answering two caller questions today. Caller 1 was abused by her father, and now he's getting remarried to someone with young children. Caller 2 told her sister about their parents' abusive behavior, and it didn't go as planned.

In the first ten minutes of the show, I recap some dysfunctional TV family dynamics in Sirens and Nine Perfect Strangers.

May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: ⁠https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships ⁠

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at ⁠866-225-5466⁠.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit⁠

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft⁠

Order Whitney's book, ⁠Toxic Positivity. ⁠

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Is This Why Young People Are Cutting Off Their Parents?

Tue, 27 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this episode, I discuss one reason young people end relationships with their parents: their desire for differentiation. You will learn why differentiation is crucial for healthy family dynamics, why adults may need to establish strict boundaries with their parents, and how relationships are formed based on role vs. relationship quality.

May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: ⁠https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships ⁠

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at ⁠866-225-5466⁠.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit⁠

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft⁠

Order Whitney's book, ⁠Toxic Positivity. ⁠

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Q&A: Our Abusive Dad Died. My Sister Only Has Positive Memories.

Thu, 22 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

I'm back with two caller questions this week. Caller 1 has been waiting for her siblings to see her perspective, but now that they have, she's having some conflicting emotions. Caller 2 is trying to make sense of her sister's apparent amnesia of their father's abuse.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: ⁠https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships ⁠

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at ⁠866-225-5466⁠.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit⁠

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft⁠

Order Whitney's book, ⁠Toxic Positivity. ⁠

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Grieving The Childhood You Never Had: How To Let Go And Grow Up

Tue, 20 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

You were the responsible one. The quiet one. The one who didn’t need much. And now, as an adult, you feel stuck—like you never got the chance to just be a kid, and it’s holding you back.

Grieving a childhood that was chaotic, neglectful, abusive, devoid of emotional connection, or overly parentified can be challenging. You may feel like you’re stuck in your childhood or your child self, and like you can’t seem to let go or move into adulthood.

In this episode, I explain what it means to grieve your childhood, the impact of a missed childhood, and how to become the adult you need.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: Should My Homophobic Parents Be Grandparents?

Thu, 15 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Imagine your parents disapprove of your partner, and they're outwardly hateful about the life you've chosen to live. You had to end your relationship with them because of this. But now you're thinking about having a baby, and you want your baby to have grandparents.

What would you do in this situation? That's one of the issues we're navigating in the latest Q&A episode out now.

About the Host

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Calling Home Monthly Topic

May | Grieving Complicated Relationship: ⁠https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships ⁠

•Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club

•Follow Whitney on Instagram

•Follow Whitney on YouTube

•Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity

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Grieving a Parent Who Wasn’t Really There: How to Mourn the Relationship You Never Got

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Episode #116 of the Calling Home Podcast with Whitney Goodman, LMFT

In this solo episode, Whitney Goodman explores the complex grief that comes with mourning a parent who wasn't emotionally or physically present. Whether the parent is still alive but unwilling to change or has passed away, Whitney explores the confusing emotions that can arise and provides practical guidance on navigating both forms of loss.

About the Host

Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466

Calling Home Monthly Topic

May | Grieving Complicated Relationship: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships

Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices

This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: I Answer Your Mother's Day Questions

Thu, 08 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Mother's Day is this weekend, and I know that is hard for many of you. In this episode, I discuss who should be "celebrated" on Mother's Day and answer several of your questions about how to grieve and estrangement.

Here are those resources I mentioned in the episode:

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Trauma From A Survivor's POV with Nate Postlethwait

Tue, 06 May 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This is an episode that every trauma survivor—and the people who love them—should listen to. Nate is an amazing speaker who discusses childhood trauma from a survivor's perspective, and I have no doubt this episode will deeply impact you.

You can learn more about Nate and his work here.

May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: ⁠https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships ⁠

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at ⁠866-225-5466⁠.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit⁠

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft⁠

Order Whitney's book, ⁠Toxic Positivity. ⁠

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Q&A: My Twin Brother Must Hate Me (UPDATED!)

Thu, 01 May 2025 13:24:00 GMT

Wow, so sorry for that mixup. My advice for Caller 1 has completely changed after I heard the entire voicemail, not just half of it. If you've already listened, this is an updated version of that episode.

May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: ⁠https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships ⁠

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at ⁠866-225-5466⁠.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: ⁠www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit⁠

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft⁠

Order Whitney's book, ⁠Toxic Positivity. ⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Power of Apologizing: How to Repair When You React

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:11:00 GMT

This episode is about repair, not perfection. You will learn:

Why we react in ways we don't want to
Why self-compassion is crucial for repair
How to repair (with exact steps)

May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: "I'm Just A Rest Stop."

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Hi! We have two caller questions this week + my three little epiphanies:

Some families are “role” families and some families are “relationship families.”
Sometimes the most adult thing you can do is stand up for yourself.
There is a special pain in families where people know exactly how to act around others, but give you the worst version of themselves.

Caller 1 feels like a rest stop to her father and never his actual destination. Caller 2 is asking about personality changes for elderly adults.

Take the Estranged Adult Child survey before June 30, 2025: https://cmnyyv4kpyt.typeform.com/to/qQRbFnc3

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Power of Parting With Eamon Dolan

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This episode is for anyone who is navigating estrangement. I sat down with Eamon Dolan, the author of the new book, The Power of Parting.

We discuss:

The hidden epidemic of child abuse at the hands of their family members
Why estrangement is so taboo and challenging
Eamon's steps for navigating estrangement and how to approach it
Why our family members need to treat us like friends

If you are an adult who is estranged from one or both of your parents, please complete my Estranged Adult Survey before June 30, 2025.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: My Sibling Keeps Sharing Info With My Estranged Parent

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Today, we have two caller questions. I also talk about my three little epiphanies for the week:

The most ineffective way to resume contact with someone after estrangement is by demanding a relationship with them.
For some adults, their parents are their biggest haters.
There’s a big difference between not wanting kids and feeling like you can’t have them because of your own childhood wounds.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Parenting Without a Map: Raising Kids Without Role Models

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 11:00:00 GMT

I recorded this solo episode of @thecallinghomepodcast for anyone who is parenting without role models or someone who is fearful of having children because they don't have a roadmap from their own childhood.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A:Does My Dad Have Autism Or Is He A Narcissist?

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:53:00 GMT

Today, we have a Q&A episode. I answer two caller questions:

1. Caller 1 wants to know if her dad has autism or narcissistic traits. I break down the difference.

2. Caller 2 is struggling to have a surface-level relationship with her family.

I also dive into my three little epiphanies for the week.

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How To Grieve: Young Grievers, Ambiguous Loss, and Support After The Door Dash Gift Card Phase with Carla Fernandez.

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:53:00 GMT

Hey everyone, and welcome back! I am so excited to have Carla Fernandez on the podcast today. She's a grief guide, community builder, the author of Renegade Grief, and co-founder of The Dinner Party, an organization that creates spaces where people who have experienced loss can gather around a table and share their stories. Carla's work centers on reimagining how we approach grief, not just as individuals but as communities, especially in a culture that often rushes us to move on or only makes space for certain kinds of grief.

We discuss young grievers, toxic positivity, what people get wrong about grieving, and losing someone you don't exactly "miss."

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: My MIL Is Passive Aggressive And No One Else Notices

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 18:38:00 GMT

Hi! We're back with two caller questions this week. Caller one is a passive-aggressive MIL and caller 2 is concerned about having her family at her wedding. I also share my three little epiphanies for the week about giving grace, the most googled question about estrangement, and Chappell Roan.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Will You Regret Having Children? with Amanda White

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 11:45:00 GMT

With that Chappell Roan clip on Call Her Daddy going viral, this episode couldn't be more timely. I sat down with Amanda White, the author of Fence Sitter and we talk about motherhood, deciding to have children, regret, and the paradox of joy and pain in parenthood. This episode is great for anyone considering having a child or struggling with early parenthood.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: I'm Estranged From My Parents and My Sister Has Cancer

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This week, I'm sharing my three little epiphanies:

The show Long Bright River is a great representation of what it's like to love a family member in active addiction and the different paths we can take in a family. (More on that below)
Why I'm so tired of quotes like, "It's your parent's first time living too."
I saw this video about growing up in an "ask family" or a "guess family," and it's fascinating.

I also answer two caller questions. Caller 1 is estranged from her parents but wants to support her sister who has cancer. Caller 2 still feels really anxious around her family but wants to maintain a connection. This is a great episode about boundaries, difficult choices, and deciding if we can tolerate surface-level relationships.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Whitney's Book Toxic Positivity.

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You Don't Stop Estrangement Just By Saying It's Bad: How To Actually Prevent Family Estrangement

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Ok, I go on a little rant in this one because I am so tired of people trying to remain totally neutral about family estrangement. Obviously estrangement is bad. It's not an ideal outcome. No one wants to experience it. And, sometimes it is the only choice. In this episode I cover:

how abuse is actually quite common in families
why saying estrangement is "bad" isn't going to solve anything
what we actually need to do to prevent estrangement in families

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: My MIL Crosses Every Boundary

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:20:00 GMT

Hi! Today I am sharing my three little epiphanies for the week about love is blind, estranged family members having mental health issues, and why some people will never get help when they're struggling. We also have 2 caller questions. #1 is deciding what kind of relationship she can have with her mother, #2 has a MIL who screams at her and crosses every boundary.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can Adults Abandon Their Parents?

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 14:24:00 GMT

Over 22,000 of you answered my poll questions about abandonment and estrangement. In this episode, I review your responses and discuss what "abandonment" means in the context of adult-child and parent relationships.

As always, thank you so much for contributing to this episode. I love it when we collaborate like this. Let me know your thoughts!

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: The Pain of Parental Rejection. Why Can They Show Up for Others and Not Me?

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT

I'm answering a caller's question today. This caller has a very distant relationship with her father, and she's trying to figure out what to do. He's super invested with his step-kids and those grandchildren, but he can't seem to show up for her and her children. I try to help this caller understand why she has resentment for her father's ambivalence, how to grieve that loss, and what to do about the relationship.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I Can't Fix This with Kirstina Kuzmič

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 11:00:00 GMT

I read the book I Can Fix This by Kristina Kuzmič and immediately knew I needed to get her on the show. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to have a teenager with a mental health diagnosis, surrendering to the fact that we cannot control it, and how to help them and yourself. This is the perfect episode for anyone who has felt clueless, helpless, and out of control in the face of a loved one's mental health struggles. (I also say the one thing that she wishes people would stop saying to people who speak about their mental health publicly).

Get Kristina's book here.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: My Dad Kicked Me Out At 16, Now He Wants To Have Lunch

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Hi! In this Q&A episode, I am talking about my three little epiphanies this week: why it's good to be a little bit delusional, a new podcast from NPR about conspiracy theories, and accepting imperfection in our family relationships.

We also have two caller questions:

Caller 1 is trying to set boundaries with her in-laws and does not want them to drink around her child.
Caller 2 is unsure if she should re-connect with her dad. He kicked her out of the house at 16 and wants to have lunch.

Watch me on Tamron Hall: https://www.hulu.com/watch/f9b07570-9030-4979-8700-7a9bd317326b

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

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All Women Lie, All Men Cheat?: Gender and The Family

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Over 2,000 people responded to my Instagram polls about gender and family. Thank you again for participating! In this episode, I review the results of those polls and explore how gender stereotypes can harm family relationships:

How hearing your parent speak negatively about the opposite gender impacts you
What happens when your parents talk negatively about each other
Sibling favoritism based on gender
Breaking generational patterns of harmful gender norms in families

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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No One Wants To Be The One From A Dysfunctional Family

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney shares insights from the Family Cyclebreakers Club group this month:

the grief of not having a supportive family
the challenges of navigating dysfunctional family dynamics (your in-laws and your own family)
the sacrifices individuals make to avoid family conflict

00:00 Introduction to Family Dynamics and Relationships

02:26 The Impact of Family Dysfunction on Romantic Relationships

06:49 Navigating Dysfunctional Family Relationships

10:32 Sacrifices Made Due to Family Dysfunction

12:58 Understanding Estrangement and Acceptance

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Parentification: There Are No Mini Adults

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:36:00 GMT

In this episode, we explore how children are drawn into adult roles—whether through emotional or logistical parentification. We examine the family conditions that create these dynamics, share real-life examples, and discuss how these experiences impact you as an adult. We’ll also explore how the very skills you developed to survive can both help and hinder you later in life, and provide actionable strategies for reclaiming your inner child and healing generational patterns.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: I Don't Want To Invite My Family To My Wedding

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney discusses her three little epiphanies for the week:

therapy lingo continues to be a force for good on reality TV
parents are cutting off their adult children
Should parents get to control your life if they give you money?

She also answers two caller questions. Caller 1 is planning a wedding and doesn't want to invite all of her family members. Caller 2 is trying to find a way to navigate one of the most challenging issues you can face within a family - child grooming and potential child s*xual abuse.

*Please keep in mind this episode discussed themes of child ab*se in caller 2.*

00:00 Introduction and Epiphanies

09:37 Navigating Wedding Guest Lists

18:42 Addressing Child Safety and Family Dynamics

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Love Is Blind and Attachment Styles

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:59:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman explores the four attachment styles and their impact on romantic relationships. She discusses the four main attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized, explaining how they manifest in relationships and how they are influenced by childhood experiences. She also shows how attachment styles are portrayed in Netflix's new season of Love Is Blind.

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction to Attachment Styles and Family Dynamics

03:21 Understanding Secure Attachment

06:19 Exploring Anxious Attachment

08:38 Diving into Avoidant Attachment

09:37 Understanding Disorganized Attachment

11:25 The Impact of Childhood on Attachment Styles

13:43 Triggers and Responses in Relationships

19:21 Navigating Partner Behaviors and Attachment Styles

27:36 The Role of Self-Awareness in Relationships

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: My Parents Have A Horrible Marriage, What Do I Do?

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:53:00 GMT

In this epsiode, Whitney answers two caller questions and gives her three little epiphanies for the week:

Sutton's mom on RHOBH
A new phrase she's using to push through hard times
Being a cyclebreaker sucks sometimes

Caller 1 is upset about her parent's horrible marriage. Caller 2 is responding to a smear campaign from her sister in law.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: Grandpa is Dating Someone New

Thu, 06 Feb 2025 14:14:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney shares her 3 Little Epiphanies for the week:

Mary Cosby from RHOSLC did an amazing job
How RHONY is an example of "therapy speak" entering the mainstream in a good way
How Whitney is choosing to handle her news consumption in 2025

She also answers two caller questions. Caller 1 is having a baby and doesn't want the baby to meet her father. Caller 2 recently lost her grandmother and is trying to navigate Grandpa having a new girlfriend.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Part 1: Nuance Needed About Adult Child and Parent Estrangement

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 12:00:00 GMT

This is a two-part series with the hosts of Nuance Needed. In part 1, Whitney, Amanda, and Sam discuss the complexities of parental estrangement, the misconceptions surrounding it, and the impact of social media on family dynamics and estrangement.

In Part 2, we reflect on the impact of their work on social media on their personal lives, the challenges of parenting, and tips to avoid estrangement. You can listen to part two on Nuance Needed.

For online therapy in 42 states, visit Amanda's practice, Therapy for Women: https://therapyforwomencenter.com/

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: My Parent Is Distant. Should I Cut Them Off?

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 11:00:00 GMT

In this Q&A episode, Whitney speaks to 2 callers. Caller 1 has a distant parent who doesn't invest much in their relationship. Should she cut them off, or is this just another estrangement fantasy?

Caller 2 is a new parent who is worried about messing up his kid. This is the pep talk you need if you can relate.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Do You Have An Uncle Marvin? With Marc Brackett

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 11:36:00 GMT

In this conversation, Whitney Goodman and Marc explore the significance of emotions in personal development and relationships. They discuss the lack of emotional education in families and schools, the impact of cultural perspectives on emotional expression, and the importance of having supportive figures in one's life. They also delve into practical strategies for emotional regulation and the connection between emotional well-being and success. In this conversation, Marc and Whitney explore the profound impact of emotional intelligence on creativity, relationships, and personal growth.

Marc's Book, Permission To Feel: https://www.amazon.com/Permission-Feel-Unlocking-Emotions-Ourselves/dp/1250212847

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Q&A: Ask Me Anything About Emotional Immaturity

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:52:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home podcast, Whitney answers your questions about emotional immaturity, providing insights into the dynamics of family relationships, the importance of genuine apologies, and the challenges of caring for emotionally immature parents.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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Can My Parent Become More Emotionally Mature?

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 11:24:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman explores the complexities of emotional maturity, particularly in the context of adult children dealing with emotionally immature parents. She discusses the common fantasy that parents can change if children learn the right ways to interact with them, emphasizing the importance of self-awareness, accountability, and setting boundaries. Whitney also highlights cultural influences on emotional immaturity and provides insights into recognizing signs of potential growth in parents.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home: www.callinghome.co/join

Join my free webinar on January 21, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j2TGSXofQMqQt-BhJLcFSA

Estranged Adult Child Group: https://callinghome.co/estranged-adult-child-group

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Q&A: His Parents Are Totally Different In Public

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney addresses two caller questions. The first caller discusses her awakening to the dysfunction within her family and how uncomfortable she feels now. The second caller asks about the confusing behavior of her emotionally immature in-laws, who present a different persona in public compared to their private interactions. Whitney provides insights on navigating these difficult relationships and emphasizes the importance of acceptance, self-care, and personal boundaries.

Timeline:

00:00 Introduction and Updates on Calling Home

02:33 Caller 1: Awakening to Family Dysfunction

16:51 Caller 2: The Dichotomy of Family Behavior

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.

Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit

Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft

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How To Deal With Emotionally Immature People

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman discusses emotional immaturity, its traits, and how to effectively deal with emotionally immature individuals. She emphasizes the importance of emotional regulation and provides practical strategies for managing interactions, drawing from insights in Lindsay C. Gibson's book, 'Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents.'

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

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Q&A: God Told His Parents Not To Speak To Us

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney Goodman discusses emotional maturity and the complexities of family relationships, particularly when spirituality and religion create barriers. She addresses a caller's question about navigating relationships with emotionally immature family members who use spiritual beliefs to justify their actions. Whitney emphasizes the importance of empathy, acceptance, and support in these situations while highlighting the pain of rejection that can arise from such conflicts. The second caller is a twin who has had to set boundaries with their twin sibling. Whitney discusses why adult sibling relationships can be so challenging and how to help someone in a dysfunctional or abusive relationship.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join

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How To Be More Emotionally Mature

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney Goodman shares concrete steps you can take to become more emotionally mature. She explores various aspects of emotional maturity, including self-awareness, accountability, emotional regulation, empathy, and vulnerability. Whitney provides practical insights and strategies for listeners to enhance their emotional maturity and navigate relationships with emotionally immature individuals.

Chapters:

11:03 The Importance of Accountability

16:20 Emotional Regulation Techniques

25:29 Empathy and Understanding Others

31:24 Vulnerability in Emotional Maturity

Join The family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home: www.callinghome.co/join

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Q&A: My Estranged Parent Keeps Buying My Kids Gifts. What Do I Do?

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 12:41:26 GMT

In this conversation, Whitney Goodman speaks to two callers and answers their questions. Question 1 addresses the complexities of navigating difficult family relationships, sharing how we feel with our family, and accepting parents. Question 2 is about gifts from estranged grandparents and the nuances of handling gifts.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club, here.

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No Thanks, Santa: How to Handle Unwanted Gifts and Set Boundaries

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman explores the complexities of gift-giving and receiving during the holiday season. She discusses the emotional weight of gifts, the pressures of navigating family dynamics, and the impact of estrangement on these interactions. Whitney provides actionable tips for setting boundaries and understanding the deeper meanings behind gifts, especially in dysfunctional family settings. The conversation highlights the importance of communication and self-awareness in managing expectations and emotions around gift-giving.

Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club, here.

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Q&A: Estrangement During The Holidays and Accepting Your Parents

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman addresses the complexities of family estrangement during the holiday season. She discusses the emotional challenges faced by individuals who are estranged from their families, particularly during a time that emphasizes togetherness. Whitney provides insights on coping strategies, the importance of setting boundaries, and the need for self-acceptance. She also emphasizes that individuals are not defined by their family dynamics.

Join Whitney and other family cyclebreakers this month at Calling Home: https://callinghome.co/topics/families-and-the-holiday-season

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Reparenting Yourself While Parenting Your Children

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT

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Listen To This Before Thanksgiving

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Have you ever found yourself dreading the holidays because of family dynamics? In this episode, Whitney discusses dysfunctional family relationships during the holidays, the expectations we carry, and how to approach these situations in healthier ways. You will learn how to accept your family, set boundaries, and actually enjoy your holiday. We recommend listening to this before Thanksgiving dinner with your family.

Our New December topic at Calling Home is Holidays and Family Relationships. You can join The Family Cyclebreakers Club here.

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Q&A: My Parents Are Politicians

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:56:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney answers two caller questions. Caller 1 is dealing with cultural pressures to care for her gaining parents. Caller 2 has parents who are politicians with beliefs that differ from her own.

You can join the Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home here.

To learn more about Whitney and her work, visit her website.

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How To Balance The Needs Of Your In-Laws, Your Parents, and Your Own Family

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Balancing the needs of in-laws, parents, and your new family can be challenging, especially when merging families with different backgrounds and expectations. In this episode, Whitney discusses why open communication, clear boundaries, and empathy are key to maintaining balance. I

Takeaways

Balancing the needs of in-laws, parents, and your new family requires open communication and clear boundaries.
Prioritize your immediate family while considering the needs of your extended family.
Compromise and individual relationships with in-laws and parents can help navigate conflicts.
Consider setting boundaries or distancing yourself in cases of abuse or harm

Timeline

03:58: Negotiating Contrasting Dynamics and Tensions

06:18: Standing Up to Traditions and Family Norms

08:20: The Importance of Open Communication and Clear Boundaries

11:04: Deciding the Role of Your Extended Family

16:26: Seeking Professional Support and Setting Boundaries

Connect

You can join the Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home here.

To learn more about Whitney and her work, visit her website.

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Q&A: My Mom Didn't Protect Me From My Dad

Thu, 14 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney speaks with two callers. She explores the complexities of parent-child relationships, emotional neglect, parentification, and the challenges of navigating relationships with disabled parents. She discusses the emotional struggles faced by children of abusive parents, the responsibilities of parents to protect their children, and the nuanced perspectives of both victims and perpetrators within family systems. Additionally, Whitney addresses the impact of family businesses on emotional connections and the anxiety that can arise from financial responsibilities placed on children.

You can join the Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home here.

To learn more about Whitney and her work, visit her website.

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My Family and I Don't Agree Politically, Should I Cut Them Off?

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In the wake of this election, many Americans wonder: Can I continue to have a relationship with family members who disagree with me politically? In this episode, Whitney walks you through her own journey in a large family with different political beliefs and provides you with a series of questions to explore. This episode will help you decide what is the right decision for you in your unique situation.

You can join Whitney for weekly groups and content at Calling Home.

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Q&A: You Don't Have An In-Law Problem, You Have A Partner Problem

Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney answers two caller questions. One is about enmeshed in-laws and the other is an adult who is trying to re-parent themselves. She discusses the profound effects of critical parenting on self-perception and self-love. She emphasizes that while individuals can work towards healing and self-acceptance, they may never fully replicate the unconditional love and support that their parents should have provided. Whitney encourages listeners to acknowledge their experiences and the impact of childhood trauma while also recognizing the importance of self-compassion and understanding in their healing journey.

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Toxic Mother-In-Law Or Brainwashing Daughter In-Law? with Janelle Marie

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:30:00 GMT

I invited Janelle (@heyjanellemarie) from TikTok to the podcast this week. I have watched every single one of her toxic mother-in-law videos, and I've been dying to speak with her.

In this episode, Janelle discusses the challenges of navigating relationships with mothers-in-law and the impact it has on marriages. She shares her personal experiences and observations as a content creator on this topic. Our conversation explores common complaints from daughter-in-laws, such as postpartum issues and misalignment in marriages. Janelle also addresses the role of partners in managing these relationships and the cultural differences that can contribute to conflicts. The discussion highlights the need for boundaries and open communication to maintain healthy relationships with in-laws. We explore the challenges and dynamics of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, the shift in roles and expectations when a woman becomes a wife and mother, and how this can strain the relationship with her mother-in-law. Mothers-in-law, you can learn a lot from this episode (you, too, sons). And Daughters-in-law, I think this episode will leave you feeling heard, understood, and a little bit less crazy.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

10:19 Common Complaints from Daughter-in-Laws

25:08 Challenging Reconciliation

30:57 Setting Boundaries for Children

44:12 Surrounding Yourself with Honest Feedback

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Q&A: I'm Not Inviting My Dad To My Wedding

Thu, 24 Oct 2024 11:30:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman reflects on the first anniversary of the Calling Home podcast and community. She emphasizes the importance of community and shared experiences in navigating complex family relationships. The episode also addresses listener questions with a daughter who doesn't want her father to attend her wedding and an adult who wants to discuss her childhood memories with her siblings. There is also a special discount code in this episode for the Calling Home community.

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My Parents Hit Me And I Turned Out Fine with Gabriel Hannan

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this conversation, Whitney Goodman interviews Gabriel, also known as The Indomitable Black Man, about his journey to becoming a content creator who promotes respectful or gentle parenting. They discuss the challenges of being a black man in the gentle parenting space and the misconceptions surrounding discipline and abuse. Gabriel emphasizes teaching and guiding children through discipline rather than resorting to physical punishment. They also explore the long-term effects of abusive parenting on adults, including anxiety, depression, and difficulties with self-regulation. The conversation explores the impact of spanking and abuse, the importance of striving for more than 'fine' in parenting, the power imbalance between adults and children, the denial and accountability of parents, the cycle of bare minimum fatherhood, and breaking generational patterns.

Takeaways

Spanking and abuse can have long-term negative effects on children, leading to physical and mental health issues.
Parents should strive for more than just 'fine' in their parenting, aiming to provide the best for their children and create a positive legacy.
The power imbalance between adults and children should be recognized, and physical discipline should be replaced with effective communication and guidance.
Parents need to acknowledge and take accountability for the trauma they may have caused their children, rather than denying or minimizing it.
Fatherhood should go beyond the bare minimum of providing for children's basic needs, and fathers should actively lead, guide, and support their children.
Breaking generational patterns and cycles of trauma is essential for creating healthier and more positive family dynamics.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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What To Do When You Have A Narcissistic Family Member with Dr. Ramani

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman and Dr. Ramani discuss how narcissism is in the family. This is a great episode for anyone who is wondering:

Is my parent a narcissist?
How do I deal with a narcissistic parent or family member?
How do I set boundaries and disengage?
Are narcissistic adult children born or raised to be this way?
Should I go to therapy with my narcissistic family member?

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

The Calling Home podcast is not engaged in providing therapy services, mental health advice, or other medical advice or services, is not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare provider, and does not create any therapist-patient or other treatment relationship between you and Calling Home or Whitney Goodman. For more information, please see Calling Home’s Terms of Service.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Part 3: What We Know About Adult Child and Parent Estrangement

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This is Part 3 of a 3-part series on adult child and parent estrangement. In this episode, Whitney compares the survey results of estranged parents and estranged adult children. She shares her thoughts about the survey results and dives deeper into what this survey has taught us about this issue.

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Part 2: Adult Children Share Their Perspective

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney shares the findings from a survey of 2382 estranged adult children. She offers a deep dive into why many distance themselves from their parents. The survey reveals common themes such as unresolved conflict, emotional or physical harm, and the lasting impact of difficult childhood experiences, where self-preservation sometimes means breaking away.

What You Will Learn:

[07:40] A breakdown of the findings from the 2382 estranged adult children survey
[25:20] The responses and how they reflect and align with our experiences
[26:04] A preview of part 3 and what to look forward to

Standout Quotes:

“If your parent harmed you or you continue to be harmed by them, you have a right to protect yourself in the same way you do in other harmful or abusive relationships.” [03:52]
“Parent and adult children, if they choose to have contact, both have a responsibility to show up as respective civil adults.” [04:05]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Part 1: Estranged Parents Share Their Perspective

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part Series on Adult Child and Parent estrangement. In this episode, Whitney discusses the findings from a survey of 204 estranged parents. You will hear how this group of parents feels about their estrangement from their adult child, what they're willing to do to fix the relationship, and if therapists and social media really are the cause of it all.

The responses from these parents reflect experiences and stories that resonate deeply with many who have faced the pain of family separation. They share their emotional struggles, expressing feelings of loss, confusion, and helplessness as they try to understand why their adult children have distanced themselves. These shared experiences highlight broader patterns in family dynamics, showing that estrangement is a complex yet relatable issue that touches many lives. We can learn a lot from the parents who were willing to share their experiences for this episode.

What You Will Learn:

[09:14] About the survey and how Whitney collected the data
[14:50] A breakdown of the findings from the survey of 204 estranged parents
[39:32] The responses and how they reflect our experiences and stories
[40:54] What to expect and look forward to in Part 2

Standout Quotes:

"Adult children have a lifetime of experience under their parent care; for a minimum of 18 years, the parent has power over them, and this power differential never completely goes away.” [03:13]
“Parents should attempt to be strong, steady leaders even when their children are adults.” [03:35]
“Adults are entitled to have and end relationships with whoever they want to have relationship with, parents and adult children both have this right in adulthood, no matter how painful that is.” [03:41]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: It's Not About Childhood. It's About How They Treat Me Now

Thu, 03 Oct 2024 11:39:00 GMT

In this conversation, Whitney Goodman answers two caller questions about the complexities of estrangement and the challenges of communicating with parents. She emphasizes the importance of self-protection, setting boundaries, and understanding the dynamics of parent-child relationships.

Goodman also discusses the need for accountability and emotional intelligence in reconciliation efforts while acknowledging that not all relationships can or should be repaired. The conversation provides insights into how individuals can navigate their feelings and expectations when dealing with estrangement and communication with parents.

Chapters

00:00 Navigating Estrangement: Understanding the Need for Communication

06:50 Setting Boundaries: The Importance of Self-Protection

10:01 The Complexity of Parent-Child Relationships

15:36 Protocols for Reconciliation: When to Seek Help

Quotes

"I think we should always try to explain ourselves."
"You have to be doing this because it's something that you want to do."
"You don't have to forgive your parent."

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join The Calling Home Family Cyclebreakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at www.CallingHome.co.

IG: @sitwithwhit

TikTok: @whitneygoodmanlmft

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Family Estrangement and Going No Contact with Patrick Teahan

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Family estrangement and going no contact are deeply painful and complex experiences that impact both adult children and their parents. Often rooted in unresolved childhood trauma, unmet emotional needs, or longstanding power dynamics, estrangement reflects a significant breakdown in communication and trust within the family. Adult children may choose to distance themselves as a means of self-preservation or to heal from past harm, while parents may struggle to understand or accept these boundaries. Navigating this estrangement requires compassion, reflection, and, often, the willingness to embrace change. Letting go of traditional power structures in parent-child relationships and learning to relate as equals can open the door to healing and, in some cases, reconciliation. However, when reconciliation is not possible, it’s important to acknowledge the grief of disconnection and focus on personal growth and emotional well-being.

In this episode, we discuss adult-child relationships, family estrangement, and how to navigate these disconnections with a special guest, Patrick Teahan. Patrick is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), childhood trauma specialist, and advocate for the Relationship Recovery Process therapy model. As a survivor of childhood trauma, Patrick brings both professional expertise and personal experience to the conversation to provide practical advice on letting go of power struggles, navigating grief when going no contact, and how both sides can work towards mutual understanding and growth.

Join us as we unpack these sensitive issues and explore pathways toward healing!

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what in for you in today’s show with Patrick Teahan
[02:39] Patrick’s experience in the parent and adult-child relationship space
[07:39] The disconnect and what is happening in the parent-adult-child relationships
[09:28] What trauma and abuse is and parental defense shame
[14:05] How to fix relationships with estranged children
[19:53] Relating as equals and how parent-children relationships change over time
[26:22] Working on yourself and accepting your parent for who they are
[30:11] How to navigate the grief of going no contact
[35:54] The healing side of lack of connectivity and feeling estranged
[38:24] How to reach out and connect with Patrick
[39:16] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

“Abuse is anything that is less than nurture.” [09:37]
“When a parent is self-righteous, it’s a sign of being massively triggered; you can’t teach someone who is defensive and triggered about human development.” [12:13]
“You’re not going to die if you’re faulted; you’re not a bad person; what is going to fix the relationship with your children is to be open and admit some things were wrong.” [14:22]

Let’s Connect

Patrick Teahan

Website: https://www.patrickteahantherapy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patrickteahanofficial/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patrickteahanofficial

Calling Home Podcast

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Q&A: My Mom Snuck Alcohol Around My Child

Thu, 26 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Surviving family holidays can be difficult when you are estranged or have unresolved tensions with your family. Holidays and events can bring deep-seated conflicts to the surface. The pressure to maintain peace can be overwhelming, especially when you're masking feelings of distrust and hurt. Navigating these relationships requires setting firm boundaries while managing the expectations of family members.

In this Q&A episode, Whitney answers real questions from callers who are having difficulties with their moms and siblings. She provides insights on how to handle estranged relationships, the strain of pretending everything is fine, and the emotional toll of unresolved conflicts. Whitney also offers strategies for maintaining peace during holidays or events, setting boundaries, and managing the pressure to keep everyone happy.

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what you will learn
[00:29] How to handle dysfunction and pretending among family members
[04:56] How to navigate family events and holidays when estranged
[07:09] Calling Home resources for building new traditions
[07:56] Prioritizing your own needs when you're with family

Standout Quotes:

“Pretending is so hard; pretending that everything is fine when it isn't or your trust or boundary was violated is so really difficult.” [01:41]
“Stop trying to make your family be what it was or what you wish it would be, instead find a way to cope and enjoy what you can in the moment.” [07:31]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Who Gets To Be In The Delivery Room?

Tue, 24 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Who should be in the delivery room?

In today’s episode, you will learn why having that conversation with yourself and other family members is critical, especially if you are an expectant mother. Whitney covers why each generations has a different perception and expectation about being in the delivery rooms. Older women, for example, believe they should be allowed in the room while their grandchild is being born while Gen Z mothers feel that they are 100% responsible for choosing who should be let in. What do you think? Let me know after listening to this episode of Calling Home.

Tune in!

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what in for you in today’s show
[00:31] Who should be in the delivery room?
[00:59] What do women of older generations feel about it vs Gen Z mothers?
[02:32] Stories from several women
[03:41] The different family dynamics and preferences
[04:26] Factors to consider when making this decision
[04:50] #Understand that birth is not a spectator sport
[06:14] #Embrace open communication and set clear boundaries
[07:27] # Consider cultural norms and personal beliefs
[10:12] Questions to ask yourself before you get anyone to the delivery room
[13:12] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

“Millenials and young Gen Z mothers believe that the person giving birth should 100% decide who gets in the delivery room.” [01:38]
“The debate of who can be allowed in the delivery room should be a personal decision that should depend on a person’s preferences and family dynamics.” [04:08]
“Birth is not a spectator sport. It is a medical procedure that is vulnerable, and you need someone close to you to offer support, care and guidance.” [04:50]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Q&A: When My Dad Texts Me, It Makes Me Sick To My Stomach

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Accepting what Is and managing your relationship with parents who may never apologize or change their behavior is not an easy path. It requires a deep level of acceptance, acknowledging that your parents might not become the people you wish they were, and understanding that healing begins with accepting the situation as it is, not as you hope it would be. The path also involves setting boundaries that protect your emotional well-being while allowing space for the relationship to evolve. Whether you choose to continue contact or distance yourself, the focus should be on what serves your growth and peace. Accepting what is doesn't mean giving up; it means recognizing the limits of what your parents can offer and deciding how to move forward in a way that honors your own needs.

In this Q&A episode, Whitney answers real questions from callers about how to respond to parents who initiate contact, particularly when past behaviors have caused emotional pain with self-compassion, acceptance, and choosing a path that aligns with personal healing.

Tune in!

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what in for you in today’s show
[00:29] How to respond when a parent initiates contact without apologizing
[05:41] Accepting your parents: What they did, who they are, and what they can offer
[09:06] Accepting your parent resources
[09:23] Walking the path of what was and is with acceptance
[11:57] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

“You are allowed to feel the way you are feeling about it; you are allowed to give yourself time to process those feelings and decide what change you need to make from there.” [05:19]
“There is no right path, but the path to healing starts with accepting what is, what your parent did, and what they can do.” [08:39]
“There is no guarantee that maintaining a relationship with a parent is going to fulfill you or going no contact with a parent is going to make your life better or easier; just walk the path that makes sense for you.” [13:22]
“It's so important to expect people to be who they have been and be pleasantly surprised when they are not, don't expect them to be different than they always have been, because that's where you're going to get hurt and disappointed.” [10:59]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing, and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Golden Child with Vienna Pharaon

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 14:30:00 GMT

Join Whitney Goodman and Vienna Pharaon, LMFT, as they discuss the role of the Golden Child in a dysfunctional family system. You will learn:

how someone becomes the golden child
why golden children struggle
how sibling dynamics play into this role
how to step out of the golden child role

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Q&A: Empathy, Boundaries, and Healing

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Balancing boundaries and empathy in family relationships means understanding and validating your family's feelings and experiences while also protecting your own emotional and mental well-being. Empathy allows you to connect with your loved ones on a deeper level, but without boundaries, it can lead to neglecting your own needs and compromising your personal space. Setting boundaries doesn't mean you care any less. Instead, it enables you to nurture healthy, respectful, and sustainable relationships without sacrificing your well-being.

In this Q&A episode, Whitney answers real caller questions on issues they are having with their family. Listen and get valuable insights on how to set and maintain healthy boundaries, practice empathy, and heal past wounds within family dynamics.

Tune in!

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what in for you in today’s show
[00:29] How to practice empathy for your parent without breaking your boundaries
[07:22] How to navigate parent-sibling dynamics and adult healing
[13:00] Parent-sibling relationship healing and resources
[13:54] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

“You can have empathy and understanding for your parents without totally letting it derail and destroy any boundaries or personal space that you have in your life.” [07:08]
“You have to start working on resolving and healing feelings around how you were treated in comparison to your siblings when you were younger so that it doesn't impact your life in a negative way.” [13:01]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How To Support A Partner Who Has Issues With Their Parents

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Supporting a partner who has issues with their parents requires empathy, patience, and understanding. It's not just understanding their feelings but also actively putting yourself in their shoes and acknowledging their emotional experience. That is listening attentively, validating their feelings, and reassuring them that their emotions are legitimate. It's not about offering solutions or fixing the problem but showing that you care and are there to support them through their struggles. By creating a safe and non-judgmental space and encouraging them to express their needs and boundaries, you are helping them feel less alone on their journey, prepare to uphold their boundaries, and build a stronger connection between you both.

In this episode, we discuss strategies and insights for supporting a partner facing challenges with their parents. Listen and learn how to be a supportive partner, maintain healthy boundaries, and build a fulfilling and joyous relationship.

Tune in!

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what in for you in today’s show
[00:59] How to support a partner who has a difficult relationship with parents
[01:37] Be supportive, not judgemental
[02:57] Seek understanding and clarity of the situation
[03:39] Support your partner in a way that is helpful to them
[04:28] Set boundaries with your in-laws
[05:11] Keep your wounds in check
[06:34] Listen and validate your partner's experience
[08:23] Respect your partner's boundaries
[09:28] Practice patience and understanding
[10:21] Celebrate your partner's progress
[10:59] Create a safe space for continuous sharing
[11:20] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

“It is way easier for an outsider to recognize what is happening and label the problem; try to put yourself in your partner's shoes and understand their perspective.” [01:44]
“Sometimes we get so caught up in supporting people how we think they should be supported rather than listening to them.” [03:44]
“Ask your partner how they would like to be supported, listen to their suggestions, and allow them to be experts on their experience.” [04:01]
“Sometimes we respond in a certain way to our partner's issues because we're being triggered; make sure you're working through your own stuff so you don't over or under react.”[29:59]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Mixing, editing and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Q&A: I'm Tired Of Being My Parent's Parent

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Feeling tired of being the parent to your parents is a common struggle, especially when they rely on you for emotional or even physical suapport. It can be overwhelming to manage their needs while trying to prioritize your own life and the family you're building. Setting boundaries is essential, not just for your well-being but also to maintain a healthy relationship with them. Healing from past hurts and learning how to rebuild relationships with parents who may have caused pain is crucial. It's important to protect yourself emotionally while still offering compassion and understanding, but also recognize when you need to step back to preserve your mental health.

In this Q&A episode, Whitney answers real questions from callers about relationship struggles with their parents. Listen and learn how to set boundaries and protect your emotional well-being and the family you are building while maintaining respect for your parents.

Tune in!

What You Will Learn:

[00:01] Intro and what in for you in today’s show
[00:26] How to set boundaries with parents in a compassionate way
[06:08] Healing from physical and emotional abuse from parents
[10:43] How to build a relationship with parents who have hurt you
[15:54] When your parent wants to apologize resources
[16:23] Wrap up and end of the show

Standout Quotes:

“If you are a parent, set boundaries and make sure parenting your parents doesn't take away from your ability to parent your own child because there will be consequences.” [05:38]
“You can’t have a real relationship without safety.” [10:34]
“Healthy relationships are healthy and important for children; Unhealthy, abusive, or dangerous relationships are unhealthy for children.” [13:22]

Let’s Connect

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

The Calling Home podcast is not engaged in providing therapy services, mental health advice or other medical advice or services, is not a substitute for advice from a qualified healthcare provider, and does not create any therapist-patient or other treatment relationship between you and Calling Home or Whitney Goodman. For more information on this, please see Calling Home’s Terms of Service.

Mixing, editing and show notes provided by Next Day Podcast.

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Family Dynamics and Romantic Relationships with Todd Baratz

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on Calling Home, Whitney speaks with therapist and author Todd Baratz on how childhood and family dynamics impact romantic relationships. He discusses why the environment we are raised in shapes who we are and how we communicate, which in turn influences the partners we choose. They also chat about "good enough" relationships and why relationships don't have to be perfect to be fulfilling.

For more information on Todd Baratz’s book “How To Love Someone Without Losing Your Mind” visit toddsbaratz.com. Follow Todd on Instagram @yourdiagnonsense.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Narcissist In The Family

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week, Whitney answers questions from listeners who are dealing with narcissists in their family and discusses how to set proper boundaries. The first caller’s question deals with a narcissist brother-in-law changing the family dynamic. The second caller recently discovered that her father was a narcissist and her mother the enabler and is questioning a situation she feels was unsafe for her son. When is the right time to set boundaries with your parents and how do you approach it?

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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What's Going On With All The #BoyMoms?

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of Calling Home, Whitney Goodman discusses the trend of mothers being overly attached to their sons, often referred to as "boy moms". This dynamic can be harmful to both the mother and son and lead to emotional incest, where the son is put into a husband-like role. Whitney talks about the reasons behind this phenomenon, including societal norms, lack of community support, and unfulfilled dreams of the mother. She also discusses ways to address this issue, such as practicing small separations, developing more support, setting boundaries, and encouraging independence.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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Q&A: Navigating Estrangement During Family Events and Holidays

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week our listener questions deal with navigating difficult family dynamics during holidays and events. The first caller struggles with an estranged family and feels isolated during celebrations. The second caller cut off their alcoholic mother for safety reasons, but struggles with her presence at family gatherings.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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Enmeshment in Family Relationships with Nedra Tawwab

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on Calling Home, Whitney speaks with therapist and author Nedra Tawwab on the concept of enmeshment in family relationships. They talk about what enmeshment is and what makes it different from a close family relationship. Nedra emphasizes the importance of setting healthy boundaries and respecting the autonomy of others, especially as children grow and become independent. She suggests that enmeshment can be addressed by gradually reducing contact to a comfortable level, asserting one's own needs and desires, and not expecting others to agree with or validate personal decisions.

Follow Nedra Tawwab on Instagram at @nedratawwab. For more information on Nedra’s books visit nedratawwab.com.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Spouse Doesn’t Understand Going No Contact; Being the Family Scapegoat

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:53:00 GMT

Whitney is answering more of your questions from the Calling Home voicemail line. The first caller is struggling with her spouse's lack of support for her decision to maintain no contact with her family, even in emergencies. The second caller, identified as the family scapegoat, is torn between cutting off contact with her family or trying to maintain a relationship for the sake of her own children.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Emotional Incest

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on Calling Home, Whitney discusses the topic of emotional incest, also known as covert incest. This form of emotional abuse occurs when a parent or primary caregiver treats their child like a romantic partner, relying on them for emotional support typically provided by a partner. Whitney will talk about when emotional incest often occurs and outline the three types: the romanticizing parent, the friendly parent, and the critical/abusive parent.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Grandparent Relationships

Thu, 30 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Today on the podcast we’re wrapping up May and our conversations about grandparent relationships by answering some listener questions on the topic. The first caller has concerns about her partner's parents, who may have been involved in or bystanders to childhood sexual abuse in their household. She’s worried how that will affect the relationship they have with any future children. The second caller, who has cut off contact with her parents, is wondering how to maintain a relationship with her supportive sister while avoiding her parents and keeping her children away from them at family events.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emotionally Immature Parents with Lindsay C. Gibson

Tue, 28 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this week’s episode of the Calling Home podcast, Whitney speaks with therapist and author Lindsay C. Gibson discusses the challenges of dealing with emotionally immature parents. They’ll discuss how emotional immaturity exists on a spectrum and can be influenced by various factors such as life stage and external circumstances. Lindsay will explain how adult children can express their feelings and set boundaries with their parents, rather than try to change them.

Find Lindsay’s book Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents on Amazon.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Guilty Over Going No Contact; Parents That Lack Emotional Maturity

Thu, 23 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Today on the Calling Home podcast, Whitney answers more questions from listeners. The first caller discusses their decision to cut off contact with her abusive grandparents and now feeling guilty for doing so. Whitney will talk about why that is a normal response and strategies for moving past the guilt. The second caller shares their experience of growing up in a household lacking emotional maturity and how her parents struggled when she expressed views different from their own. Whitney talks about the generational differences in handling emotions and the challenges of tolerating differences between parents and their adult children.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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How To Set Boundaries With Grandparents

Tue, 21 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling On Podcast, Whitney discusses the importance of setting boundaries with grandparents. She’ll explain why grandparents may struggle with boundaries due to generational differences, cultural beliefs, or a lack of respect for their adult children's parenting styles. If you’re struggling with these types of relationships, Whitney will give you strategies for clear communication, finding compromise, and explain how positive reinforcement can help establish and maintain these boundaries. She’ll also provide scripts for setting boundaries and emphasizes the importance of prioritizing a child's safety.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Finding and Respecting Boundaries in a Sister Relationship

Thu, 16 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Today on the Calling Home podcast, Whitney is answering more of your questions. The first caller discusses a conflict with her sister, who has requested they attend family therapy before resuming communication. The second caller asks for advice on dealing with anger towards her sister, who has violated a boundary related to their abusive mother.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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Setting Boundaries Within Immigrant Families with Sahaj Kaur Kohli

Tue, 14 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney will talk with therapist and author Sahaj Kaur Kohli. They’ll discuss the challenges of setting boundaries and maintaining healthy communication within multi-generational immigrant families. She highlights the pressure that immigrant parents often feel from their own parents, which can lead to rigid expectations and norms being passed down to their children. They will also talk about the importance of partners being on the same page when dealing with in-law dynamics and the need for individuals to manage their expectations of their parents.

Fore more information on Sahaj Kaur Kohli and her book, "But What Will People Say?", visit sahajkaurkohli.com.

Follow Sahaj on Instagram @sahajkohli

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Mother’s Day Edition

Thu, 09 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Mother’s Day is this Sunday and it can be very triggering for many individuals for a variety of reasons. Today on the podcast, Whitney will answer calls from listeners who struggle with this holiday. The first caller shares her struggle with maintaining no contact with her mentally ill mother due to the pain she causes, asking for advice on how to handle Mother's Day approaching. The second caller, a childless woman, expresses her resentment towards her siblings for leaving her to celebrate the holiday with their mother alone.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grandchildren Are Not A Do-Over For Parents Of Adult Children

Tue, 07 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, Whitney discusses the complex dynamics of grandparent relationships. She’ll talk about why grandchildren are not a 'do-over' for parents of adult children, and that grandparents should not view their role as a second chance at parenthood. This episode is primarily focused on grandparents who have a strained relationship with their adult children and why they need to repair that relationship in order to have a healthy one with their grandchildren. Whitney will also provide a list of steps for grandparents to take in order to demonstrate change and accountability.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Chaotic Upbringings and Setting Boundaries

Thu, 02 May 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney is answering more of your questions. Today, she’ll talk to a listener that is struggling to understand her chaotic upbringing, which was marked by her parents' nasty divorce, her mother's substance abuse and mental health issues, and her father's absence. Whitney will talk about the importance of accepting and grieving these types of experiences. The second caller has questions on how to set boundaries within her culture, which is often seen as a foreign concept in her family.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Unresolved Childhood Trauma with Andrea Ashley

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on Calling Home, Whitney discusses the impact of unresolved childhood trauma with the host of the Adult Child Podcast, Andrea Ashley. Andrea shares her personal journey of growing up in a loving but dysfunctional family, dealing with addiction, and discovering the concept of "adult children" of alcoholics and dysfunctional families. They’ll also touch on the difficulty of moving forward without an apology from parents and the importance of inner child work in healing.

Learn more about the Adult Child Podcast at adultchildpodcast.com and follow Andrea on Instagram @adultchildpod.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Emotionally Distant Parents and a Good Grandma But a Not-So-Good Mom

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Description:

In this episode of the Calling Home podcast, Whitney is answering more of your questions. The first caller is looking for advice on how to navigate a relationship with emotionally and physically distant parents. Then, our second caller wants to discuss a difficult relationship with her mother, who views her as an extension of herself.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Grieving The Apology You Never Got

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney Goodman discusses how to grieve the apology you've never received from a parent. This apology may have never been received due to various reasons such as death, mental health issues, or refusal to acknowledge past wrongs. Whitney will talk about how to accept this reality and focus on healing yourself and why you may need to abandon the fantasy of an ideal parent-child relationship.

Head over to cozyearth.com and use promo code "callinghome" for an exclusive 35% off.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Q&A: Working With Family And Searching For Understanding From Fiance

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman is answering more calls from the Calling Home voicemail. Today’s first call involves a listener who is involved in a multi-generational family business, that unfortunately has some toxic workplace behaviors. The second caller is asking for advice on handling a relationship with her fiance who struggles to understand why she has certain boundaries set with her parents.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Breaking the Pattern of Dysfunction with Kelly U

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney Goodman interviews health and wellness influencer Kelly Uchima about her journey of reconciling with her father and breaking the pattern of dysfunction in her family. Kelly shares how she was the first in her family to recognize her father's narcissism and the negative impact it had on her mental health and relationships. She discusses the cultural practice of sweeping family issues under the rug to maintain the illusion of a perfect family unit.

Follow Kelly on Instagram @kellyu

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Siblings with Emotional Baggage; Generational Trauma

Thu, 11 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney is back to answer more questions from the Calling Home listener community. The first caller discusses her struggle with an adult sibling who hasn't done the same emotional healing work she has, causing her to absorb their emotional baggage. How does she separate herself from feeling their pain? The second caller asks about the impact of generational trauma, specifically relating to her father who is a Holocaust survivor.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Toxic Positivity

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on The Calling Home podcast Whitney will discuss Toxic Positivity in honor of the paperback release of her book on the topic. She’ll explain that toxic positivity is the act of dismissing or invalidating negative emotions in favor of a positive outlook, often leading to suppression of genuine feelings. This can be particularly harmful in family relationships, where it can create a surface-level connection and teach children to suppress their emotions.

Click here to get “Toxic Positivity” on paperback.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Estranged Father Seeking Reconciliation, Family Choosing Ex-Husband

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman is answering more calls from the Calling Home voicemail. Today’s first call involves a listener who is estranged from her mother but still in minimal contact with her father and his family, who is seeking reconciliation. The second listener is a divorcee who was very close with her family, but is now no-contact with them while her ex-husband is invited to family events.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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When Parents Give You The Silent Treatment with Abbey Williams

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on the Calling Home Podcast, Whitney Goodman speaks with therapist Abbey Williams. They discuss her estrangement from her mother due to the latter's use of the silent treatment as a form of discipline. Williams explains that this behavior, often driven by unprocessed trauma, emotional immaturity, shame, or a desire for control, can be as damaging as physical abuse. Despite the pain of estrangement, Williams has used her experience to better parent her own children and break the generational cycle of dysfunction.

To learn more about Abbey Williams and her Healing Book Club, Estranged Mother Support Group, 1-on-1 coaching and more follow her on Instagram at @youthemother.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Changing Your Parent’s Expectations with Mindhappy Founder Darshita Raval

Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, host Whitney Goodman speaks with Darshita Raval, founder of Mindhappy, a wellness platform dedicated to bringing fulfillment back into everyday life. Darshita shares her journey of moving from India to America, climbing the corporate ladder, and then quitting to move back in with her parents and pursue her dream of building Mindhappy. She discusses the challenges she faced in navigating cultural expectations and maintaining a respectful relationship with her parents despite differing views on her career. Darshita also talks about the importance of self-belief and trust in oneself when making significant life decisions.

Visit Mindhappy.com and use HOME15 for 15% off first monthly subscription!

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Blending Families

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the challenges of blending families, particularly when the children are adults. Common issues in these situations include changes in family dynamics, financial disputes, and the addition of new family members. She’ll talk about the importance of patience, understanding, and clear communication during the blending process. Plus, why it is important to avoid putting adult children in the middle of disagreements or forcing them to choose sides.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Q&A: Parents Accepting Adult Child’s ADHD, Handling Estrangement and Pregnancy Announcements

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman is answering more calls from the Calling Home voicemail. Today’s first call involves a listener who is struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and her mother's refusal to acknowledge it. The second caller is looking for advice on how to tell her estranged parents about her pregnancy.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Emotionally Immature Parents with Morgan Pommells

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

This week on the Calling Home podcast, Whitney interviews therapist Morgan Pommells about emotionally immature parents. They’ll discuss how these parents can have good intentions but become defensive when their adult children bring up past issues, leading to feelings of being unheard and causing relationship problems. Repair is possible at any age and they’ll talk about how parents can acknowledge and validate their child's experiences, even if they differ from their own memories.

Follow Morgan on Instagram at @morganpommells

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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Co-Parenting with Dysfunctional Parents, Parents with Undiagnosed Mental Disorders

Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:40:00 GMT

Whitney Goodman is back answering more questions from listeners. The first caller is a grandmother co-parenting with her grandchild's dysfunctional parents and wondering how to successfully navigate that relationship and raise the child in a happy and healthy way. Then, our second call comes from a listener dealing with a parent who likely has an undiagnosed narcissistic personality disorder.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Going No Contact

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode, Whitney Goodman will discuss the topic of going "no contact" with family members, a decision often made due to abusive or toxic relationships. Prior to this episode, Whitney took some polls on Instagram and found the majority of those that have gone no contact with a family member did so primarily due to feeling unsafe in communication with them. This week on the podcast, she’ll talk about why going no contact is often a last resort after attempts to set boundaries and communicate have failed. Whitney will also discuss the process of going no contact, including setting internal boundaries, deciding on the level of access the person will have, and dealing with mutual contacts.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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Q&A: Sibling Relationships After Divorce, Caring For Aging Parents and Supporting No Contact

Thu, 07 Mar 2024 13:00:00 GMT

Today on the podcast, Whitney Goodman dives into your questions left on the Calling Home voicemail. The first caller discusses her strained relationship with her brother after their parents' divorce and their mother's subsequent struggles with addiction and mental health. Then, the second caller asks about the responsibility of caring for aging parents, particularly when the relationship has been difficult or abusive. Finally, our final voicemail comes from a listener asking how to support a friend whose sister has cut off contact with the family.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

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Introducing New Episodes Coming Every Thursday

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:00:00 GMT

This week is a very special solo podcast to introduce new episodes that will be on the feed every Thursday. Whitney receives so many great questions from listeners, that each week she will be dedicating an entire episode to answering those voicemails. This introductory episode starts with a listener that shares her struggle with her mother's abusive behavior towards her daughter, leading her to cut off contact. The second caller discusses a strained relationship with their brother-in-law and sister-in-law, seeking advice on how to reconcile. Our final caller shares a successful reconciliation story with her mother, highlighting the importance of open communication and the potential for change over time.

Have a question for Whitney? Call Home at 866-225-5466.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Growing Up In Chaos

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the topic of managing family chaos and walking on eggshells. Many people grow up in families where they are taught to manage the emotions of others, often to avoid conflict or keep the peace. This can lead to a pattern of behavior where individuals constantly monitor the moods and reactions of others, often at the expense of their own emotional well-being. This week, Whitney will talk about why this behavior can be harmful in healthy relationships and give you tips on how to break this cycle.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Parent and Adult Child Relationships with Minaa B

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

This week on Calling Home, Whitney Goodman will speak with author, speaker, therapist, and mental health educator Minaa B. They’ll discuss the complexities of parent-child relationships, particularly when the child becomes an adult. They highlight the importance of parents seeing their children as autonomous individuals, and the need for both parties to understand and respect each other's perspectives. Plus, Whitney and Minaa touch on the societal and systemic influences that can shape these relationships, and the importance of empathy, compassion, and acceptance in navigating these dynamics.

Learn more about Minaa B. and get her book “Owning Our Struggles: A Path to Healing and Finding Community in a Broken World” at MinnaB.com

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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The Missing, Missing Reasons

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 13:32:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the topic of "missing, missing reasons" in estranged parent-child relationships. She explains that these are the reasons for estrangement that parents claim they don't know, despite their children having communicated them. Whitney will talk about how this could be due to parents not wanting their children's words to reflect poorly on them, parents genuinely not remembering the reasons due to emotional amnesia, or parents recounting stories with minimal detail. Plus, advice on why adult children should try to safely share their reasons for estrangement when possible, and parents should listen and understand without being defensive.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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How Parents Can Navigate Their Relationship with Adult Children with Dr. Laurence Steinburg

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the challenges faced by parents of adult children, particularly in the context of the changing societal norms and expectations. Dr. Laurence Steinberg, author of “You and Your Adult Child” & Professor of Psychology at Temple University, explains that his book was inspired by the need for guidance among parents of adult children, particularly in navigating the extended period of adolescence that is becoming increasingly common. He highlights the importance of understanding that brain maturation continues into the early twenties, and that experiences during this period can significantly impact future development. They also discuss the impact of financial dependence on the emotional independence of young adults, and the need for parents to adjust their expectations and avoid comparing their children's progress to their own at the same age.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ambiguous Loss and Grief

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode of The Calling Home podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the concept of ambiguous loss, a term coined by researcher Pauline Boss in the 1970s. This type of loss refers to grief that has no definitive boundary or closure, such as the loss of a loved one who is physically absent but still present in thoughts, or a loved one who is physically present but emotionally absent. Goodman provides advice on how to grieve this type of loss, including giving oneself permission to grieve, finding people who understand the situation, and being open to having a different type of relationship with the person.

Join Whitney’s Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Adult Sibling Relationships with Dr. Geoffrey Greif

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home Podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the topic of adult sibling Relationships with Dr. Geoffrey Greif, a professor at the university of Maryland and author of “Adult Sibling Relationships”, co-authored by Michael E. Whoolley. Whitney and Geoffrey dive into the fascinating research behind the categories of sibling relationships as well as what can factor into creating these bonds as they evolve throughout the different stages of life.

Join her Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Estrangement Between Adult Children and Their Parents

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT

In this episode of the Calling Home Podcast, host Whitney Goodman discusses the topic of estrangement between adult children and their parents. She shares insights from hundreds of stories she received from her followers, highlighting common themes such as emotional immaturity, boundary violations, addiction, and denial of problems within the family. Goodman also shares results from polls she conducted on Instagram, revealing that most respondents took one to five years to decide to become estranged, and the main causes were a history of abuse and emotionally immature parents. She emphasizes that most respondents indicated that an apology and changed behavior could help mend the relationship.

Join her Family Cycle Breakers Club for further support and discussion on family dynamics at CallingHome.co. Follow the Calling Home community on Instagram or TikTok.

Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram or TikTok.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Navigating Sibling Estrangement with Fern Schumer Chapman

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 13:00:00 GMT

In the first episode of the second season of Calling Home, Whitney discusses adult sibling estrangement with guest Fern Schumer Chapman, author of Brother Sister Strangers.

They discuss the complexities of sibling estrangement, including the feelings of rejection, self-blame, and the impact on family dynamics. Fern shares her personal experience of a 40-year estrangement from her brother, which was followed by a 10-year reconciliation.

They discuss the factors that can lead to estrangement: family trauma, parental favoritism, poor communication skills, and differing family values. Fern advises that estrangement is not always permanent and maintaining even a limited relationship can be beneficial for all family members.

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Mother Daughter Relationships

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 15:17:00 GMT

In the final episode of The Calling Home podcast's first season, Whitney discusses the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. She emphasizes that love and protection are not the same thing, and a mother can love her child but still put them in dangerous situations.

We'll talk about why mothers might criticize their daughters, such as projecting their own standards or seeing their daughters as competition.

And a reminder to identify patterns they want to break in their own relationships and consider the systemic factors that might impact these relationships.

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WHERE CULTURE AND PARENTING MEET with Leslie Priscilla

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Whitney is joined by Leslie Priscilla, founder of Latinx Parenting, about the intersection of culture, parenting, and childhood.

They discuss the harmful parenting behaviors that are often excused as part of culture, the impact of colonization on parenting styles, and the importance of treating children with respect. They also talk about the challenges faced by Latinx families, such as the expectation to take care of parents in old age and the normalization of violence against children.

Leslie emphasizes the importance of breaking generational cycles, being gentle with oneself, and finding a supportive community.

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Reconciliation In Relationships

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 12:37:00 GMT

Reconciliation is a process that requires both parties to take responsibility, acknowledge their roles, apologize, and work towards a new relationship.

Reconciliation should move slowly, especially in cases of long-standing estrangement or rifts. Setting boundaries, managing expectations, and accepting family members as they are now are all important as a family works toward making things better. Celebrate small victories along the way, and remember that reconciliation is not a final destination but a process that may involve steps forward and backward.

A holiday related question from a Calling Home listener about why families often cater to the most toxic individual during celebrations and holidays ends todays episode.

Today's episode is sponsored by Hello Fresh. Use code homefree for FREE breakfast for life - get one breakfast item per box while your subscription is active. HeloFresh is America’s #1 Meal Kit.

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SURVIVING IN-LAWS with Elizabeth Earnshaw

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 13:25:16 GMT

In this episode, Whitney talks with Elizabeth Earnshaw, a marriage and family therapist, about navigating relationships with in-laws.

They explore the importance of finding common ground with your partner's family and setting boundaries. They also discuss a Reddit post about a conflict over a child's last name, highlighting the importance of communication and understanding in such situations.

Elizabeth also emphasizes the importance of the couple acting as a team and understanding each other's perspectives, and they also discuss the potential harm of criticizing in-laws and the benefits of having in-laws involved in one's life.

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Bonus Episode: Surviving Thanksgiving

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 16:47:57 GMT

Some tips to help you survive Thanksgiving with your family!

Expect your family to be the same as they are every other day, complete with their flaws and positive traits.
Remember that you are an adult and have the power to decide how you spend your day.
Get clear on your limits and plan for when those limits are reached.
Identify what is important to you on this day and align your actions with those values.
Avoid picking battles or starting a healing journey with your family on this day.
If anything goes wrong, remember that a holiday is just a day and it will end.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

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Navigating Emotionally Immature Parents

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 12:24:00 GMT

Whitney talks about the impact of emotionally immature parents on their children. She explains that emotionally immature parents often lack empathy, struggle to apologize or admit fault, and are often well-liked in their communities due to their ability to maintain surface-level relationships. They also tend to provide for their children in practical ways, but fail to meet their emotional needs.

We also have Calling Home listener questions about this same topic, including coping with 'the silent treatment' and the fear of becoming like them.

Awareness of one's own trauma can prevent the repetition of harmful patterns.

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Holly Whitaker

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 13:05:20 GMT

Whitney is talking with Holly Whitaker, author and founder of Tempest, about the impact of alcohol on family dynamics.

Holly believes that society's positive messaging around drinking often overlooks the negative impact it can have on relationships. She believes that the question should not be whether one is an alcoholic, but rather if alcohol negatively impacts one's life and if steps should be taken to address the relationship with it. She also discusses the lack of informed consent around alcohol consumption, as many people are not fully aware of the potential consequences. She suggests that if alcohol feels uncomfortable or difficult, it's an invitation to interrogate one's relationship with it.

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Special Events and Community

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney talks how to navigate events and celebrations with a highly dysfunctional family, offering tips on how to deal with difficult family dynamics, such as setting boundaries and preparing for situations that may arise.

Introducing The Calling Home community, a platform offering support groups, exclusive content, and Q&A sessions with experts.

Listener questions: Dealing with family issues during significant life events, such as weddings and funerals.

This week's sponsors are:

Alzheimer's Association - join the Walk to End Alzheimer's and help us make a brighter future for all those affected by Alzheimers's. Make a difference today
Hello Fresh — use code 50home to save 50% and get free shipping

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Bradi Nathan

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Whitney talks with Brady Nathan, a mother who shares the story of her late son Jack. Jack started the Happy Jack World Project to help other kids struggling with mental health issues before his untimely death due to a fentanyl-laced Percocet. Brady discusses the importance of listening to children when they express unhappiness, even if their lives seem perfect from an outside perspective. She also emphasizes the need for parents to allow their children to lead their own lives, rather than imposing their own expectations. Brady continues to run the Happy Jack World Project, which has donated over $100,000 to various foundations, and advocates for greater awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and recreational drug use.

This week's sponsors are:

Hello Fresh — use code 50home to save 50% and get free shipping

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Family Dynamics, Religious Changes, And Parents Who Didn't Do Their Best

Tue, 17 Oct 2023 11:18:00 GMT

In this episode, let's get into the complexities of family dynamics, particularly when two families merge through a relationship or marriage. Understanding and accepting differences in family systems, communication styles, and cultural backgrounds are all key for success ... but not always easy. A good reminder to distinguish between differences that are merely annoying and those that are problematic or dangerous.

Listener questions this episode include navigating relationships with religious family members after losing faith, and another about reconciling with the idea that parents did their best with the tools they had, even when it feels like they could have done more.

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Sarah Adams

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 11:19:00 GMT

Whitney discusses the issue of 'sharenting' or oversharing children's lives on social media with guest Sarah Adams. Sarah is a mother of two, and she argues that this practice can be a form of child exploitation, as it often involves sharing children's experiences with a large and potentially dangerous audience for entertainment purposes. She wants parents to reconsider the impact this could have on their children's future and their right to privacy.

Sarah also discusses the different categories of parents who overshare, including new parents, 'medical mamas' who share their children's medical information, and those who seek online popularity. She advises parents to reflect on their sharing practices and to treat their children as autonomous human beings rather than props for content.

Qeepsake – use code CALLINGHOME to get 20% off your annual subscription. We text you questions and you text us the memories you want to hold tight.
Alzheimer's Association - join the Walk to End Alzheimer's and help us make a brighter future for all those affected by Alzheimers's. Make a difference today

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Substance Abuse, Abandonment, and Reconnection

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 11:10:29 GMT

In this episode of Calling Home, Whitney discusses the impact of parent-child relationships in the context of substance abuse. She shares a story about a young man who was introduced to drugs by his mother at the age of 12, highlighting the long-term effects of such experiences. Whitney emphasizes the importance of understanding the needs that children are trying to communicate through their actions and decisions.

She also answers listener questions about feeling abandoned by a parent and how to reconnect with estranged adult children. Whitney advises patience, understanding, and willingness to hear and respect the perspectives of the children in these situations.

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Dr. Josh Coleman

Tue, 26 Sep 2023 11:15:00 GMT

Psychologist and author Josh Coleman joins Whitney to talk through navigating difficult relationships between parents and their adult children. Dr. Coleman emphasizes the importance of parents being willing to engage in open, non-defensive conversations with their adult children to rebuild connections. He also discusses the cultural shift in family dynamics over the past half-century, with younger generations placing more emphasis on mental health, happiness, and personal growth.

Whitney and Dr. Coleman agree that both parents and adult children have a role to play in repairing relationships, but ultimately, the responsibility lies with the parents. They also discuss the impact of high expectations on parent-child relationships, with Dr. Coleman suggesting that parenting only plays a small part in how individuals turn out, with genetics, social class, and other factors playing a larger role.

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Eve Rodsky

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Whitney talks with Eve Rodsky, creator of a system designed to balance the domestic workload in homes.

Eve's system, Fair Play, is based on the idea of treating homes as important organizations, with clearly defined expectations and roles for each member. The system is built on three key principles: boundaries, systems, and communication.

Eve emphasizes the importance of each person owning their tasks, from conception to execution, to ensure efficiency and accountability. She also highlights the need for women to value their time as much as men do, and for men to be active participants in domestic life. She believes that for women to fully step into their power outside the home, men must be invited into their full power within the home.

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Accountability, Boundaries, and That Person You Don't Want To See

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:55:00 GMT

Whitney talks about accountability in parent-child relationships:

children should not be held accountable for their actions in the same way as adults
there is a power differential between parents and children which continues into adulthood
parents need to to consider how their actions would have felt to their child at the time

And Whitney's first questions from her voicemail (866-CALL HOME):

dealing with anxiety over running into estranged family members
supporting a spouse who is hesitant to reconcile with their parents

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Who is Whitney Goodman? What is CALLING HOME?

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:50:00 GMT

The CALLING HOME podcast is LIVE. What you can expect, who Whitney's guests will be, and how YOU can get involved. (Hint: 866-CALL-HOME)

THANK YOU for being here.

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CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 11:05:00 GMT

I'm Whitney Goodman. I'm a licensed marriage and family therapist, and you may know me from the Instagram account, SitWithWhit. I help adults have better family relationships.

Season one of this podcast is going to be a combination of Q & A episodes, where I talk about what I'm noticing in my sessions, what I'm seeing online, and expanding on some of my most popular social media content.

I'll also take questions from you at 866-225-5466.

My goal is to help you feel less alone.

I'm also doing a series of interviews with experts, authors, people in the field, and 'regular' people that I've seen on TikTok who are sharing valuable information in the space of family relationships. My first guests include Eve Rodsky, Elizabeth Earnshaw, and Leslie Priscilla.

I am so excited to dive into this season with you.

Welcome to The Calling Home podcast. I'm glad you're here.

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