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In this candid and deeply relatable episode, the hosts of Therapists Unhinged step into the emotional maze of the holiday season and the complicated realities of going “home.” With humor, honesty, and lived experience, they explore why returning to family can feel less like comfort and more like stepping back into old patterns, roles, and wounds you thought you’d outgrown.

This episode wrestles with the invisible pressures so many people carry during the holidays — the obligation to show up, the fear of judgment if you don’t, and the internal conflict of wanting connection while protecting your own peace. The hosts discuss generational dynamics, family systems, trauma triggers, and how deeply ingrained expectations can override our adult autonomy.

They also explore the paradox of longing for the warmth of family while simultaneously bracing for emotional landmines: passive-aggressive remarks, guilt trips, shame, or regression back into the “black sheep,” the “scapegoat,” or the “problem child,” regardless of who you’ve become since leaving home.

With vulnerability and humor, they challenge the idea that tradition should trump emotional safety, and offer permission — not just to set boundaries, but to create entirely new traditions that reflect who you are now, not who you were raised to be. They remind listeners that “home” is not automatically synonymous with “family,” and that peace, joy, and belonging can be built with the people you choose.

This episode is a compassionate invitation to rethink holiday expectations, question inherited obligations, and choose emotional well-being over performative perfection. It blends therapeutic insight with real talk, encouraging listeners to break cycles rather than repeat them — even if it means disappointing others to protect yourself.

⭐️ KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Returning home can trigger old emotional roles — even for highly functional adults.
• Obligation is not love; pressure is a red flag, not a family value.
• You are allowed to create new traditions that support your well-being.
• Boundaries protect not just you, but your partner and children.
• Nostalgia doesn't erase harm — and growth requires honest evaluation.
• Preparing emotionally for toxic environments may signal it’s time to opt out.
• You don’t owe anyone access to you just because you share DNA.
• Joy is not created through performance — but through authenticity, connection, and choice.

⭐️ BEST MOMENTS

00:03:40 — “Going home shouldn’t require psychological prep work just to survive it.”
00:06:05 — “Sometimes you change, but your family still sees you as who you used to be.”
00:09:20 — “Home is different than family — and sometimes love happens from a distance.”
00:14:15 — “If you feel pressure to go home, that’s a red flag — not a tradition.”
00:18:45 — “Why are you willing to sacrifice your peace for someone else’s comfort?”
00:22:30 — “People will talk whether you go or not — so choose what protects you.”
00:27:50 — “You don't have to pass chaos down to your kids just because you lived it.”
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Therapists Unhinged is where mental health gets real. Hosted by licensed therapists who tell it like it is, this podcast dives deep into the messy, meaningful, and hilarious parts of being human. From mastering resilience to navigating the chaos of everyday life, we bring raw conversations, expert insights, and unfiltered honesty...no jargon, no BS.

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