The Trauma Therapist There’s An Issue With My Mom with Karen C.L. Anderson
Dec 11, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Karen C.L. Anderson, a master-certified life coach and author devoted to helping women navigate shame and generational trauma, shares her personal journey. She opens up about her challenging relationship with her mother, early family dynamics, and the impact of childhood trauma. Karen discusses the transformative insights from her work on shame frameworks and nervous system regulation. With practical advice, she emphasizes the healing power of effective therapies like IFS and EMDR, offering inspiration for others on their path to liberation.
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Childhood Enmeshment And Neglect
- Karen C.L. Anderson describes growing up with parental divorce, a substance-affected stepfather, and emotional neglect that shaped her early life.
- She explains becoming enmeshed with her mother in adolescence, seeking approval and feeling unsafe in that relationship.
Safety Is Central To Toxic Parent Dynamics
- Karen realized she never felt safe with her mother and suspects her mother didn't feel safe with her either.
- She frames their dynamic as two triggered nervous systems unable to be with each other safely.
Writing Sparked A Break With Her Mother
- Karen recounts blogging and publishing a book on body image, which triggered increased conflict with her mother.
- She cut ties after her mother emailed that she was "disappointed in the person" Karen had become.
