I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: as a group, therapists tend to have some pretty similar formative childhood experiences.

Our shared experiences as parentified children not only draw us to this field, but according to today’s guest, they fundamentally influence and shape how we practice once we become therapists. This understanding can foster a sense of connection and empathy among us, enhancing our ability to relate to our clients.

From the modalities and techniques we employ to the all-too-common fear of hurting our clients’ feelings, Dr. Karen Maroda asserts that how we approach our profession is deeply tied to how we were parentified. By acknowledging and examining these impacts, we can take control of our practice, helping our clients grow and ensuring a sustainable career in the field. 

Dr. Maroda’s work is not just theoretical. It's a call to action, urging us to embrace clinical and personal courage. It's a roadmap, guiding us on how to navigate our roles as therapists in light of our formative childhood experiences.

Karen J. Maroda, PhD, ABPP, is a psychologist/psychoanalyst in private practice in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is the author of several books, including The Analyst's Vulnerability: Impact on Theory and Practice, and has published numerous journal articles, book chapters, and book reviews. She lectures nationally and internationally on the therapeutic process, including the place of affect, self-disclosure, countertransference, legitimate authority, and the need for clinical guidelines. 

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How our parentification as children can be an indicator of our potential empathic strengths
• How parentification often sets us up to be conflict-avoidant and self-sacrificing, to the detriment of ourselves and our clients
• How treating our clients as excessively fragile or infantile hinders their ability to get better
• The real antidote to feeling frustrated and disengaged with a client who’s not making progress
• The relationship between our outsized fear of harming clients and our fear of our anger and frustration that was forged in childhood 

Learn more about Dr. Karen Maroda:

• The Analyst's Vulnerability: Impact on Theory and Practice

Learn more about Riva Stoudt:

• 
  Into the Woods Counseling
• The Kiln School
• Instagram: @atherapistcantsaythat
  
  

Resources:

• Season 2 Ep 10: Client Relationships in the Trenches: The Role of Self-Validated Intimacy
• A Curious Calling: Unconscious Motivations for Practicing Psychotherapy, Michael B. Sussman