In this conversation, we hear from Katherine Ripley, a licensed clinical social worker and somatic therapist, about how difficult childhood experiences can influence and shape the decision of whether or not to have children. Keltie and Katherine discuss:

• The role of anxiety as a defense against emotion and how it can prevent us from connecting with our bodies and core emotions.
• The importance of curiosity, compassion, and listening to the different parts of ourselves when making decisions.
• How childhood trauma can shape our desires and fears around parenthood.
• The concept of parentification and how it can influence the decision to have kids or not.
• Emotional regulation and taking ownership of our emotions when considering parenthood.

...and many other topics related to difficult childhood experiences and the Kids or Childfree decision.

As mentioned in the show: Find Katherine on: Instagram: instagram.com/therapy.with.katherine/ Tiktok: tiktok.com/@therapywithkatherine Get the details on Katherine's upcoming "The Practice of Presence" course, here: katherineripleytherapist.com/online-course About Katherine:

Katherine Ripley is a licensed clinical social worker, offering both individual therapy and group coaching programs. She works with adult survivors of child abuse and childhood emotional neglect. She uses primarily somatic methods to support people in processing their emotions through their bodies. Her work is also based in attachment theory. __ Check out our free resources here, or at kidsorchildfree.com/free-resources And don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review The Kids or Childfree Podcast if you love what you're hearing! You can leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or a rating on Spotify. Find us online at www.kidsorchildfree.com. Instagram: www.instagram.com/kidsorchildfree TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kidsorchildfree