The holidays can bring out our best—and our most anxious—selves. Therapist and author Dr. Kathleen Smith (True to You; Everything Isn’t Terrible) will join Jenny Brown to discuss staying kind and self-defined when those predictable family tensions rise.

How can parents handle sensing disapproval, differing values, and “helpful” relatives without losing themselves—or their sense of humor? Dr. Smith draws on family systems thinking to share examples of managing one's own anxiety, showing up with more emotional maturity in front of our kids, and staying connected without falling into people-pleasing.

Indeed, you can respect your family and stay true to yourself this holiday season.

Quote:

To live a life that is truer to you, it’s useful to understand the ways you lose self—the capacity to think and act as an individual—in a relationship system. Maybe you like to keep your relationships light and superficial, using distance to avoid any tension. Maybe you end up overfunctioning, directing everyone so you feel steady. Perhaps you’ve been quick to triangle other people into conflict, unsure of your own thinking.

Smith, Dr Kathleen. True to You: A Therapist's Guide to Stop Pleasing Others and Start Being Yourself (p. 150). 

Books: 

https://kathleensmithwrites.com/books/true-to-you/

https://kathleensmithwrites.com/books/everything-isnt-terrible/

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