CALLING HOME with Whitney Goodman, LMFT

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/joinWhitney'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/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The discussion dives deep into the emotional complexities of abandonment in adult-parent relationships. Insights from over 22,000 responses reveal varied perceptions about estrangement. The importance of mutual respect and shared responsibilities is emphasized, alongside the burdens of unresolved issues. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own familial ties and consider the broader cultural influences at play. It's a thought-provoking exploration of how adults navigate their roles as children and the expectations from parents.

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/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/f9b07570-9030-4979-8700-7a9bd317326bJoin The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Relationships02:26 The Impact of Family Dysfunction on Romantic Relationships06:49 Navigating Dysfunctional Family Relationships10:32 Sacrifices Made Due to Family Dysfunction12:58 Understanding Estrangement and AcceptanceJoin The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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/joinHave a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhitSubscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices