In every group, from families and friendships to teams and nations, there are invisible forces at play. Power, status, and hierarchy shape who speaks, who listens, and who gets left out.

In this episode, Dr. Ali Walker unpacks the hidden rituals that reinforce group hierarchies, explores how status is performed and perceived, and examines what happens when the balance of power begins to shift.

We ask:

• What is power beyond titles and roles?

• How do we unconsciously play status games?

• What happens when we challenge group norms?

• And how can we create spaces where power moves with integrity?

Whether you're navigating team politics, rethinking your role in a social group, or questioning long-standing dynamics in your family, this episode invites you to look beneath the surface — and lead with awareness.

Why do some of us become the overachiever, while others fade into the background or act out in rebellion?

In this episode, we explore the 5 classic roles children take on in dysfunctional family systems - the Hero, the Rebel, the Lost Child, the Mascot, and the Caretaker. These roles aren’t personality traits - they’re survival strategies we unconsciously adopt to find safety, attention, or connection in emotionally chaotic environments.

You’ll learn:

• Where these roles come from and why they form

• How they shape our adult relationships and self-worth

• The hidden emotional cost of playing a role to be loved

If you’ve ever wondered why you became the way you are, or felt stuck in a version of yourself that doesn’t quite feel real, this episode is for you.

Why do so many of us feel like we’re constantly performing - just to be accepted? In this powerful first episode, Dr. Ali Walker explores the hidden emotional cost of the “social game” we’ve all been taught to play - from childhood cliques to adult circles of power and popularity.

We unpack the dynamics of performative belonging, the roles we unconsciously adopt, and the quiet longing underneath it all: to be seen, to be safe, and to be loved without conditions.

This episode is an invitation to step out of the game, pause the performance, and begin the journey toward true connection- with others, and with yourself.

Key themes:

• The emotional cost of performance-based belonging

• Outsourcing emotional regulation

• The power of pausing before reaching out

• How to reconnect with your authentic self

If you’ve ever felt exhausted by social dynamics, or like you’re chasing love that always feels just out of reach, this one’s for you.

In this opening episode, Ali Walker introduces This Is How We Feel - a podcast exploring real-life emotional dilemmas in love, leadership, and learning, and why our feelings matter more than we think.