On this episode host Harriet Shearsmith talks about her experience of summer holidays growing up and how it differs from her parenting experience, she shares powerful insights from her book Unfollowing mum on Interpersonal psychotherapy - adolescent skills training (IPT-AST) and how we can use the programme to improve our communication with our children (and how we can reflect on where these skills were absent in our relationships with our parents)

Harriet’s books:

Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you’d had is available here: https://amzn.to/3FKHqde

Cycle Breakers: Free yourself from emotionally immature parents and be the parent you wish you’d had (US edition): https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Breakers-Yourself-Emotionally-Immature/dp/B0F1ZY9G8K/

Visit harrietshearsmith.com for resources on estrangement and navigating family dysfunction or to submit a letter to the podcast. You can also book a session with Harriet here: https://app.simplymeet.me/harrietshearsmith

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith shares a letter from 'Tanya' about parental suicide after estrangement, an enabling parent who haven't worked on their own trauma and continue to choose people who harm them and the impact affairs have on toxic family dynamics.

Harriet’s books:

Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you’d had is available here: https://amzn.to/3FKHqde

Cycle Breakers: Free yourself from emotionally immature parents and be the parent you wish you’d had (US edition): https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Breakers-Yourself-Emotionally-Immature/dp/B0F1ZY9G8K/

Visit harrietshearsmith.com for resources on estrangement and navigating family dysfunction or to submit a letter to the podcast. You can also book a session with Harriet here: https://app.simplymeet.me/harrietshearsmith

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of the show, host Harriet Shearsmith talks with author of Golden Child: My descent to scapegoat and rise to freedom and mind & body practitioner Lauren Smallcomb about her experiences as a former golden child and what it looks like to fall from the golden child perch.

You can find Lauren at instagram.com/goldenchildbook or @flourish_therapy and find her book at flourishtherapy.kartra.com/page/goldenchild

Harriet’s books:

Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you’d had is available here: https://amzn.to/3FKHqde

Cycle Breakers: Free yourself from emotionally immature parents and be the parent you wish you’d had (US edition): https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Breakers-Yourself-Emotionally-Immature/dp/B0F1ZY9G8K/

Visit harrietshearsmith.com for resources on estrangement and navigating family dysfunction or to submit a letter to the podcast. You can also book a session with Harriet here: https://app.simplymeet.me/harrietshearsmith

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith shares a recent experience where she had to break no contact with her mother due to harassment, how she handled the situation and what it looks like to stay in a place of 'self' during these experiences.

Harriet’s books:

Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you’d had is available here: https://amzn.to/3FKHqde

Cycle Breakers: Free yourself from emotionally immature parents and be the parent you wish you’d had (US edition): https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Breakers-Yourself-Emotionally-Immature/dp/B0F1ZY9G8K/

Visit harrietshearsmith.com for resources on estrangement and navigating family dysfunction or to submit a letter to the podcast. You can also book a session with Harriet here: https://app.simplymeet.me/harrietshearsmith

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith reads out a letter from a listener, sharing their experience of growing up in a toxic family dynamic as the scapegoat and how that led to estrangement.

Harriet’s books:

Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you’d had is available here: https://amzn.to/3FKHqde

Cycle Breakers: Free yourself from emotionally immature parents and be the parent you wish you’d had (US edition): https://www.amazon.com/Cycle-Breakers-Yourself-Emotionally-Immature/dp/B0F1ZY9G8K/

Visit harrietshearsmith.com for resources on estrangement and navigating family dysfunction or to submit a letter to the podcast. You can also book a session with Harriet here: https://app.simplymeet.me/harrietshearsmith

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith chats about the difference between emotionally immature, narcissistic and toxic parents.

You can find Harriet's book Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you'd had here: https://amzn.to/3Xdu12Y

Or visit www.harrietshearsmith.com for helpful resources, tools and to book an appointment with Harriet.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith speaks with an anonymous guest regarding her experiences with parental alcoholism, a narcissistic and self centred father and toxic parent dynamics.

You can find Harriet's book Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you'd had here: https://amzn.to/3Xdu12Y

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith talks about the experience of being triggered - both memories that conversations with people will bring up, and what it is like to recognise your abusive parent's behaviours in someone else.

You can find Harriet's book Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wish you'd had here: https://amzn.to/3Xdu12Y

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode host Harriet Shearsmith chats with Diana, childhood sexual abuse and cancer survivor, about her experiences growing up in an abusive household and discovering the betrayal of her mum in adulthood. They discuss the physiological impact of trauma and Diana's views on her healing journey.

For more from Diana, you can find her here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diana__pearson__

Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/diana__pearson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, host Harriet Shearsmith talks about her experience of growing up with a narcissistic parent who has been cheated on and how that unique dynamic can present in the parent/child relationship.

You can get a copy of Harriet's book Unfollowing Mum: Break unhealthy patterns and be the parent you wanted here: https://amzn.to/42rOl3N

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.