In this episode, I talk about the complicated grief that surfaces once we begin setting boundaries and creating distance from toxic, narcissistic, or emotionally immature parents.

I share what it looked like in my own life— the emotional toll of being a parentified child, and why our healing journey often involves mourning the milestones we missed while we were just trying to survive.

This conversation is especially for those who feel behind in life, who struggle with guilt for being sad about the past, or who just need to hear that it’s okay to grieve what should have been. Because healing from a toxic parent doesn’t mean pretending it didn’t hurt—it means being honest with our reality, making space for that pain, and still choosing to move forward.

If you're looking for support navigating your cycle breaking journey in real time, the Boundaries Helper GPT inside the Confident Boundaries Membership is now live and ready to help.

🎧 Ready for More?
Subscribe to You're Not Crazy: The Private Feed for ad-free episodes, bonus content, and archived episodes no longer available in the public feed:

📱 Download the Confident Boundaries App
Available on iOS and Android

🧭 Join the Confident Boundaries Membership
Get monthly coaching, community, and the tools to set boundaries that actually stick: confidentboundaries.com/membership

📄 Grab My Free Guide
5 Guilt-Proof Boundaries That Actually Work (Even With a Toxic Parent):
confidentboundaries.com/guilt-proof-boundaries

📸 Follow on Instagram
instagram.com/torieatconfidentboundaries

Torie Wiksell is a therapist and coach who specializes in helping adult children of narcissistic and borderline parents break toxic cycles and reclaim their peace. She combines clinical experience with personal insight as a cycle breaker raised by a mother with suspected NPD and BPD traits. Torie provides online ther...