Episode 35: When He's Married To Mom with Dr. Kenneth Adams

When we're enmeshed with a parent we might feel responsible for taking care of them emotionally, and guilty if we don't do what they expect of us. And while enmeshment is often uncomfortable, it may also come with feeling special and can be very challenging to recognize and overcome.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Kenneth Adams, therapist, and author of "When He's Married to Mom", about mother-enmeshed men: What is childhood like for them? What are their adult relationships like? And how to recover from enmeshment and have functional adult relationships (with both partners and parents).

Episode 34: All About the Scapegoat with Mary Toolan

Are you familiar with the concept of assigned family roles; roles assigned in childhood that are either falsely empowering or disempowering? Maybe you've heard of The Hero, The Lost Child, or The Scapegoat? But what does all of this mean?

In this episode, I discuss The Hero and Lost Child, and how these roles contribute to love avoidance or addiction. And I talk with London-based coach, Mary Toolan, regarding the role known as the toxic family's dustbin: The Scapegoat.

Episode 32: From Unlovable to Recovering with Charlene deGuzman

There are books and podcasts about love addiction, and people talk on social media about it… but there aren't many movies that address the topic.

That's why Charlene deGuzman's film, Unlovable, is so unique: She not only tells her story, but she calls love addiction what it is. In this episode, I talk with Charlene about her personal experience with love addiction and recovery, as well as what she's learned about herself and how recovery has changed her life.

Episode 28: Third Degree Mother Hunger with Jennifer Acker

If you listen to the podcast you've likely heard me talk about Mother Hunger and the role it plays in love addiction. But there's an extreme form of this attachment injury: Third Degree Mother Hunger- which happens when a daughter grows up frightened of her mother.

For this episode, I invited fellow Mother Hunger facilitator and therapist, Jennifer Acker, to share her personal Third Degree Mother Hunger story.

Episode 24: Functional Adulting with Daniel Gowan

There's lots of talk about adulting and being a 'mature adult', but what does all of that even mean? Are we adults because we have responsibilities, or we're parents, or (we think) we behave maturely?

In this episode, I invite Daniel Gowan back to discuss Pia Mellody's concept of the Functional Adult. We also cover Pia's five core symptoms of codependence (aka the five 'buckets'), reparenting, and how to live in action vs. reaction.

Episode 10: An Interview with Daniel Gowan

What’s it like to grow up as The Hero of the family? Hint: It’s not as awesome as it sounds. In this episode, I talk with Rev. Daniel Gowan, LPC-S, regarding his upbringing as a Hero and his personal experience with love addiction, avoidance, and codependence. We also discuss his recovery journey, how this led him to Pia Mellody’s work, and how all of it has influenced him as a therapist.