Toxic parents? Difficult family relationships? Can Catholics set boundaries and follow God’s commandment?

Is it ever okay to step back from a parent-child relationship? Dr. Greg Bottaro and Noelle Mering explore the balance between honoring parents and protecting mental, emotional, and spiritual health. In a culture where cutting ties is increasingly normalized, does it truly lead to healing? This episode dives into forgiveness, boundaries, and finding peace in difficult family relationships. If you’ve ever wrestled with family wounds or guilt over boundaries, this conversation offers a powerful blend of faith and psychology.

Key Topics:

The difference between normal family conflict and toxic relationships.
Catholic teaching on honoring parents vs. setting healthy boundaries.
How the “No Contact” movement is reshaping family relationships—for better or worse.
How to forgive without enabling harmful behavior.
The psychological impact of unhealthy family ties—and the path to healing.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome & Episode Overview

03:30 – Impact of Woke Ideology

05:50 – Raising Children to be Faithful Catholics

08:45 – Protecting Children from Harmful Ideology

13:20 – How to Best Help Struggling Kids

15:21 – Are Your Parents Actually Toxic?

30:18 – When is “No Contact” Justified? (Or is it a cultural overreaction?)

36:07 – The 4th Commandment: Honoring vs. Obeying

44:30 – Setting Boundaries as a Catholic

52:49 – Final Thoughts & Encouragement

Learn More:

Awake, Not Woke – book by Noelle Mering
Theology of Home – co-directed by Noelle Mering & Carrie Gress
Theology of Home (4 volumes) – books by Noelle Mering & Carrie Gress
Ethics and Public Policy Center – where Noelle co-directs EPPC’s Theology of Home Project
Need support navigating a difficult family relationship? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation.
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier

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