Welcome to Season 3 of Elevator Systems!
In our first episode of the season, we're diving into our earliest relationship with parents/caregivers — a formative relationship that shapes us across the lifespan.

Joining hosts Dixie Vandersluys & Katie White is licensed therapist and author Dr. Kathleen Smith. Kathleen’s books include Everything Isn't Terrible and True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself. Living in Washington, DC, Kathleen is a faculty member at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family and author of the popular newsletter, The Anxious Overachiever.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How our relationship with parents is “Olympic training for objectivity”
How Bowen family systems theory broadens perspective to multigenerational patterns
What happens when we see our parents as humans, not heroes or villains
The role of blame, anxiety, and differentiation in adult relationships
Why cut-off isn’t always the end and the usefulness of curiosity
Real-world examples: parenting, loss, tooth hygiene, and “Sweet Caroline”

Whether you’re navigating family dynamics, interested in personal growth, or work in mental health, this episode has insights, humour, and practical tools to think differently about you and your family story.

Recommended Resources:

The Murray Bowen Archives Project
Elevator Systems Seasons 1 & 2
The Anxious Overachiever newsletter
Everything Isn’t Terrible by Dr. Kathleen Smith
True to You by Dr. Kathleen Smith
Family Therapy in Clinical Practice by Dr. Murray Bowen
Family Ties that Bind by Dr. Ron Richardson
Growing Yourself Up by Dr. Jenny Brown

New podcast episodes released every Tuesday this season—stay tuned as we explore relationships across the lifespan!

Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts so you don’t miss a weekly release.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment with your biggest takeaway or reflection about your own family relationships!

Living Systems Counselling and Training provides educational material for those interested in learning more about Bowen family systems theory:

https://livingsystems.ca

Living Systems Hybrid Conference: October 17–18, 2025

Conference theme: Aging—Individual Challenge or Family Opportunity?

Learn more: https://livingsystems.ca/education/conferences/fall-2025-conference-on-aging/

Key Topics:#ParentChildRelationships #TherapyPodcast #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Differentiation #FamilyDynamics #CutOff #Parenting #SelfGrowth #GenerationalTrauma #Family #Relationships #BowenTheory #FamilySystemsTheory #ElevatorSystemsPodcast #TherapyPodcast #BowenFamilySystems #LivingSystems #MurrayBowen #Therapy #SystemsThinking #Perspective #Generations #History #Humanity #Objectivity #LifeSpan #MurrayBowenArchives #TMBAP #TheMurrayBowenArchivesProject

DISCLAIMER: This podcast is general information about Bowen family systems theory and is not considered the practice of counselling or therapy. The information presented are the views of the people who say them. Any information used from this podcast is used at your own risk.

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