Beyond Survival - The Therapy Podcast with Katie McKenna

There is such a thing as Healthy Anger — but if you grew up around narcissistic rage, that can feel hard to believe.
In this solo episode, I untangle the belief many adult children of narcissistic parents carry: the learned belief that anger is dangerous, destructive, or something to fear within yourself. 
When anger was only ever modelled as explosive outbursts or cold withdrawal, it makes sense that your system learned to shut it down entirely — or to associate it with shame.
I explore the crucial difference between anger, aggression, and rage. My hope is that you’ll begin to see anger —  not as something that turns you into “them” — but as a clean, protective signal from your nervous system. A signal that something matters. That something isn’t right. That something is wrong or unfair or unjustified. 
Our Healthy Anger signals to us that we deserve care, respect, and boundaries. That we exist. That we matter.
I also look at narcissistic rage — what drives it, why it feels so destabilising, and why it was never actually about you.
This is a steady, clarifying conversation about reclaiming anger as something safe, informative, and deeply self-respecting. Not something to act out — but something you’re allowed to feel.
Free Masterclass - Chaos to Calm 
If you're caught in a cycle of reacting, regret, guilt — repeat.
You are not a bad parent.
This is a nervous system problem.
And this can all change.
Register here 

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Anyone listening to an abusive parent in action can easily interpret the other parent’s silence as safety. Because they don’t join in, they can appear to be “the good parent” — the one who feels more trustworthy, more stable, more protective.
But silence in these dynamics is rarely neutral.
In this episode, I explore the often-overlooked role of the passive or non-abusive parent — and how their inaction, minimisation, or inability to protect can shape a child’s experience just as deeply. I discuss the confusion this creates, the loyalty binds it reinforces, and the long-term impact it can have on how safety, trust, and relationships are understood in adulthood.
This is a compassionate, nuanced conversation — not about blame, but about seeing clearly what was missing, so you can begin to make sense of your experience with more honesty and self-trust.
Free Masterclass - Chaos to Calm 
If you're caught in a cycle of reacting, regret, guilt — repeat.
You are not a bad parent.
This is a nervous system problem.
And this can all change.
Register here 

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

When you grow up in a narcissistic family, you don’t get the space to become yourself. Your wants are dismissed, your needs are overlooked, and your boundaries are annihilated. So in healing, we’re not just recovering — we’re learning who we are for the first time.
One part of identity that often gets left out of this conversation is sexuality and desire.
For many people, this area is deeply impacted. A narcissistic parent can blur boundaries, sexualise, shame and create confusion around sex, sexuality and desire. And that can leave you feeling disconnected from your body, your desires, and your sense of agency.
In this episode, I’m joined by sex educator and intimacy coach Grace Alice OShea to explore sexuality in a way that feels safe, grounded, and shame-free. 
We talk about how early experiences shape our relationship with sex and intimacy, and how to begin reconnecting with yourself—at your own pace, in your own way.
This is a gentle, honest conversation to help you release shame, understand your experience, and begin to reclaim this part of yourself.
Follow Grace on Instagram
Free Masterclass - Chaos to Calm 
If you're caught in a cycle of reacting, regret, guilt — repeat.
You are not a bad parent.
This is a nervous system problem.
And this can all change.
Register here 

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

When raised in a narcissistic system, sibling bonds can become both a lifeline and a source of deep emotional strain. 
In todays letter, we discuss the often unspoken dynamic of sibling abuse, trauma bonding, family roles, addiction, and the emotional toll of being the cycle breaker. 
Ruth and I explore what happens when one sibling begins the healing journey — setting boundaries, going no contact, and breaking generational cycles — while others remain caught in addiction, mental health struggles, and unresolved trauma. 
There’s often the guilt of leaving. The pressure to rescue. The cost of being cast as “the strong one.” And the heartbreak of watching siblings suffer while trying to protect your own peace.
Growing up in a home marked by alcoholism, narcissistic parenting, domestic violence, neglect, and abuse, today’s story reflects what many adult children of dysfunctional families quietly carry. 
It also speaks to the reality of holding compassion without self-abandonment, especially when your own healing, your children, and your nervous system need to come first.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I support my siblings without losing myself?”—this conversation offers a grounded, trauma-aware space to reflect on that question.
Because healing doesn’t mean you stop caring.
But it does ask you to choose where your responsibility begins — and ends.
Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram
Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan in TikTok
www.callaghancounselling.ie
Free Masterclass - Chaos to Calm 
If you're caught in a cycle of reacting, regret, guilt — repeat.
You are not a bad parent.
This is a nervous system problem.
And this can all change.
Register here 

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

This week a listener describes what it was like to grow up largely invisible and also scapegoated, while their older sister held the role of the golden child. 
With a covertly narcissistic mother and an overtly narcissistic father, achievements, independence, and curiosity were mocked rather than celebrated, while approval always seemed just out of reach. Praise was offered to strangers, but rarely, if ever, directly to the child who longed to hear it.
The story also touches on boundary violations, body shaming, and the subtle but powerful ways children learn to survive within dysfunctional systems — becoming the “good child,” the high achiever, the one who stays quiet and contained in order to maintain stability.
But the dynamics didn’t stay in childhood. When this listener became a parent and began setting boundaries, the family system escalated in ways that will feel painfully familiar to many who grew up in similar environments.
If you grew up in a family where love felt conditional, where roles were rigid, or where your reality was often dismissed, this story may resonate deeply.
Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTok
Follow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagram
www.callaghancounselling.ie
Free Masterclass - Chaos to Calm 
If you're caught in a cycle of reacting, regret, guilt — repeat.
You are not a bad parent.
This is a nervous system problem.
And this can all change.
Register here 

BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast