About this episode

The episode discusses the complexities of caregiving for parents who have caused emotional harm, featuring insights from clinical psychologist Lisa D. Stinson, Ph.D.

When your inner child says don't be selfish, your inner teen says we don't owe them shit, and your true self asks what we can live with. Lisa D. Stinson, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist, former Navy psychologist, and trauma specialist with over twenty years treating survivors of narcissistic family systems. She grew up the family scapegoat to a narcissistic mother and an enabling father, left home at seventeen, and has spent her life since at a deliberate distance from the people who raised her. Her newly published book, The Obligation Myth , explores the question almost no one prepares you for: what you actually owe the parent who hurt you once they're the one who needs help — and how to answer it in a way you can live with long after they're gone. ✨ What this episode explores: ▪️Why Caregiving Reactivates Your Childhood Role — The unique challenges an aging parent triggers in the scapegoat, the invisible child, and the golden child. ▪️ When Every Part of You Wants Something Different — How to honor the conflicting voices an aging parent stirs up without letting any single one decide how you show up. ▪️ Competent Caregiving Without the Emotional Investment — Why you can meet a…

People in this episode

Host: Andrea Ashley

Guest: Lisa D. Stinson, Ph.D.

Topics covered

• caregiving
• narcissistic family systems
• emotional investment
• estrangement
• forgiveness

Keywords

• inner child
• scapegoat
• narcissistic mother
• emotional conflict
• caregiving challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Obligation Myth

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