Family Dysfunction : Real Take

From Ready To Be Real by Síle Seoige by Síle Seoige

March 2, 2026 · 17 min

About this episode

Josh Connolly discusses the unspoken truth of family dysfunction and the challenges of toxic family systems.

Topics covered : toxic family systems, boundaries, living grief, healing. For this week's Real Take, Josh Connolly talks about the unspoken truth of family dysfunction and how toxic systems are often invisible to the outside world. He is a father of six and his book  'It’s Them, Not You: How to Break Free from Toxic Parents and Reclaim Your Story' is a bestseller. With a powerful online following and years of lived experience behind his work, he speaks openly about growing up with an alcoholic and abusive parent. And in the wake of recent public conversations around family estrangement, due to Brooklyn Beckham’s revelations, I wanted to explore what dysfunction in a family system actually looks like. The roles people can fall into, the patterns that follow on into adulthood, and why boundaries can feel so difficult and yet are so necessary. Josh on Instagram His Dublin workshop on Sunday April 26th 2026 Tics here You can listen to the full conversation anytime now and if you're struggling right now, there is help available... Ireland helplines and hotlines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Síle Seoige

Guest: Josh Connolly

Topics covered

toxic family systems
boundaries
living grief
healing
family dysfunction

Keywords

family dysfunction
toxic parents
boundaries
healing
living grief
alcoholic parent
family estrangement

Mentioned in this episode

Products: It’s Them, Not You: How to Break Free from Toxic Parents and Reclaim Your Story

Places: Ireland