In this episode, we talk openly about cycle breaker shame, why it hits so hard after the holidays, and why these moments don’t define your growth. Listen to learn how to reconnect with the emotionally mature adult you’re working so hard to become.

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This week’s episode breaks down why the holidays bring up so much dread, why perfectionism shows up so strongly for cycle breakers, and how to stay grounded when your family triggers you.

Torie Wiksell, therapist and boundaries coach, shares:

This episode is your reminder that complicated emotions don’t mean you’re failing. They mean you’re human.

Want ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the full archive of You’re Not Crazy? Join the Private Feed for $5/month. It’s the easiest way to support the show and get more cycle-breaker support in your week.

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

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In today’s episode, Torie breaks down the 5 most common reasons boundaries with narcissistic, emotionally immature, and otherwise toxic parents fail, and the practical shifts that actually help them stick.

Want ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the full archive of You’re Not Crazy? Join the Private Feed for $5/month. It’s the easiest way to support the show and get more cycle-breaker support in your week.

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

You deserve a peaceful holiday season, and you don’t have to wing it this year.

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In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, therapist and boundaries coach Torie Wiksell breaks down the difference between healthy guilt and the manipulative guilt toxic parents use to control you.

You’ll learn:

If you grew up walking on eggshells or still feel responsible for your parent’s emotions, this conversation will help you find clarity, self-trust, and relief.

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

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As a therapist, boundaries coach, and cycle breaker herself, Torie shares the deeper truth behind these painful family dynamics: what really leads someone to end contact, how the media gets it wrong, and why accountability and power dynamics must be part of the conversation.

If you’ve ever been told you “abandoned” your family or felt judged for making the gut-wrenching decision to protect your peace, this episode will remind you that you’re not crazy — and that choosing yourself does not make you a selfish person.

We’ll cover:

Why “family estrangement” has become a loaded, stigmatizing term

The power imbalance between parents and adult children that not enough people are talking about

The truth about why cycle breakers go no contact — and why it’s never impulsive

How media narratives and even some therapists perpetuate shame

A more honest, hopeful way to talk about healing family relationships

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

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In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, therapist and boundaries coach Torie Wiksell shares the truth about how that same caretaking instinct keeps so many cycle breakers stuck. Torie opens up about her own experience navigating guilt, fear, and the pressure to protect the people in her family who hurt her—especially as she shares her own story publicly.

This conversation explores:

Torie’s reminder for this week:

“ It is not our job to comfort people we care about when they are uncomfortable with us taking care of ourselves.”

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This episode explores the direct pipeline from narcissistic parenting to abusive partners. If you’ve ever blamed yourself for how you survived, this one’s for you.

Want ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to the full archive of You’re Not Crazy? Join the Private Feed. It’s the easiest way to support the show and get more cycle-breaker support in your week.

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

If you or someone you know is experiencing intimate partner violence, please reach out to local emergency services or the National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/

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In this week’s episode of You’re Not Crazy, therapist and boundaries coach Torie Wiksell unpacks what really happens when cycle breakers suppress anger—and how to begin separating the emotion of anger from the behavior that once made it unsafe. You’ll learn:

Why your childhood brain linked anger with danger

How unprocessed frustration builds until you “snap”

Why shame keeps you stuck in the same emotional cycle

Practical steps to start feeling anger without fear

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

And if you need more support with your own toxic parent, check out Confident Boundaries with Toxic Parents, Torie’s self-guided course that walks you step-by-step through setting boundaries, navigating guilt, and creating realistic strategies for dealing with toxic family dynamics.

When you enroll this week, you’ll also get her Holiday Survival Guide for free: a practical, trauma-informed roadmap for navigating the season with clarity and confidence.

Get immediate access at ConfidentBoundaries.com/course

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If you’ve ever felt the mix of dread, guilt, and anxiety that shows up the second someone mentions “family holidays,” this episode will help you slow down, get perspective, and actually prepare—not just survive.

Torie breaks down:

Why so many adult children of toxic parents procrastinate holiday planning (and how that backfires)

How to build new holiday traditions that your family can’t ruin

Why your “holiday pie” needs more slices that have nothing to do with your family

How to set yourself up for a season that’s calmer, more grounded, and actually yours

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

And if you need more support with your own toxic parent, check out Confident Boundaries with Toxic Parents, Torie’s self-guided course that walks you step-by-step through setting boundaries, navigating guilt, and creating realistic strategies for dealing with toxic family dynamics.

When you enroll this week, you’ll also get her Holiday Survival Guide for free: a practical, trauma-informed roadmap for navigating the season with clarity and confidence.

Get immediate access at ConfidentBoundaries.com/course

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Big news: You’re Not Crazy just joined the Bleav Podcast Network! That means more growth, more community, and more support for cycle breakers like you. In this episode, Torie shares what this milestone means for the podcast—and then dives into the harmful “bad advice” cycle breakers often hear, like being told there’s only one right way to heal.

Join here: https://www.confidentboundaries.com/private

And if you need more support with your own toxic parent, check out Confident Boundaries with Toxic Parents, Torie’s self-guided course that walks you step-by-step through setting boundaries, navigating guilt, and creating realistic strategies for dealing with toxic family dynamics.

When you enroll this week, you’ll also get her Holiday Survival Guide for free: a practical, trauma-informed roadmap for navigating the season with clarity and confidence.

Get immediate access at ConfidentBoundaries.com/course

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.