Episode 216: Breaking the Cycle of Pain: How to Heal from Childhood Wounds

We all had bad parenting in some way—but now what?

No parent is perfect, and childhood wounds don’t just disappear when we grow up. Whether you struggled with criticism, emotional neglect, control, or a lack of support, those experiences shape your self-worth, relationships, and faith.

In this episode, Catholic psychologist Dr. Greg Bottaro explains how faith and psychology help rewire false beliefs, break destructive patterns, and heal childhood wounds.

Key Topics:

• How bad parenting affects adult relationships & self-worth.

• The difference between healing and “just forgiving”.

• How to honor parents while setting healthy boundaries.

• Rewiring false beliefs about your identity through faith.

• How to break the cycle and parent differently.

00:00 – Introduction

03:21 – How bad parenting impacts children’s sense of identity

07:00 – Breaking the cycle: Understanding toxic family patterns

11:55 – How faith rewires false beliefs about your identity

13:44 – Learning self-stewardship and true self-care

17:12 – Correcting distortions of value learned from bad parenting

18:47 – Final encouragement to self-stewardship

• Episode 215: When Are Parents Toxic? with Noelle Mering

• Catholic Mindfulness Program – Dr. Greg Bottaro’s mindfulness approach integrating Catholic faith and psychology.

• Need support navigating a difficult family relationship? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation.

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