Moving Abroad, Motherhood, and the End of Old Rules (with Vanessa Bennett) | Ep 85

About this episode

Mickelle Weber and Vanessa Bennett discuss the impact of motherhood and moving abroad on personal growth and partnership models.

What happens when motherhood cracks open the old “rules,” and moving abroad removes every last distraction? In this episode of the House of Peregrine Podcast, Mickelle Weber sits down with Vanessa Bennett; therapist, author of The Motherhood Myth , and co-host of Cheaper Than Therapy —for a candid, elegant conversation on partnership, power, and the brave work of rewriting your life. Vanessa shares how losing their LA home to wildfires became the unexpected catalyst for a one-year move to Costa Rica: a reset to grieve, downshift, and decide what comes next from steadier ground. Together, they explore how systems like patriarchy, capitalism, and colonialism operate as dominator models (someone “above,” someone “below”) and why the alternative isn’t matriarchy, but a partnership model built on sovereignty, care, and choice. They also unpack codependency vs interdependence, and why over-functioners often have to be the ones to put the rope down first. In this episode: Motherhood as a paradigm shift for couples Dominator systems vs partnership models Codependency (“if you’re good, I’m good”) vs interdependence Why some therapy can reinforce hierarchy and how to vet support Moving…

People in this episode

Host: Mickelle Weber

Guest: Vanessa Bennett

Topics covered

• motherhood
• partnership
• codependency
• interdependence
• moving abroad
• patriarchy
• capitalism

Keywords

• motherhood
• partnership
• Costa Rica
• codependency
• interdependence
• patriarchy
• capitalism
• therapy
• wildfires
• expat life

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Motherhood Myth

Places: Costa Rica, LA

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