Beyond Survival - The Therapy Podcast with Katie McKenna

"Since cutting contact, my father and siblings have taken the position that if I won't have a relationship with my mother, they won't have one with me"
This week, we explore the heartbreaking fallout of going no contact, the painful reality of family members who choose sides, and the impossible-feeling decisions around grandparent access, boundaries, and breaking generational cycles. How do you protect your peace and your children without losing the hope of a healthier family?
The CALM Parent
Doors are Open. The Group is capped at 25. Doors close Nov 5th or sooner when the group fills
When the group is full - doors will close, group capped at 25 to keep things supportive, responsive and human
🎧 The CALM Parent - Podcast 
▶️ The CALM Parent - YouTube
BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

What happens when you’re the one who always shows up, reaches out, and holds the family together — but the effort is never returned?

This week, we hear from a listener who grew up as the parentified daughter: the reliable one, the helper, the one expected to sacrifice, stay quiet, and keep showing up. 

She left home to build a life of her own, eventually moving abroad and discovering a freedom she’d never known. But distance came with blame, and despite years of trying, she’s still the one expected to chase connection with her siblings.

In this episode Katie and Ruth explore toxic family dynamics, sibling relationships, the guilt of choosing distance, and the complicated grief of letting go of the family connections you always hoped for. 
The CALM Parent
Doors are Open. The Group is capped at 25. Doors close Nov 5th or sooner when the group fills
When the group is full - doors will close, group capped at 25 to keep things supportive, responsive and human
🎧 The CALM Parent - Podcast 
▶️ The CALM Parent - YouTube
BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

Are you mad at me?  Did I do something wrong?
If you grew up in a dysfunctional family, your body learned to scan everything.
The shift in tone, the sigh, the silence that means you’re in trouble. 
You got very good at spotting it, because your survival depended on it.
This week I’m joined by my friend Kristen Carter, host of the I Have ADHD podcast, and author of the new book You’re Not in Trouble: The ADHD Guide to Building Healthy, Connected Relationships. 
To me, Kristen’s book speaks to something deeper than ADHD. It speaks to the relational wound so many of us carry from childhood: the belief that being in trouble is the default, and connection has to be earned.
If you’ve ever lived braced for the next “what did you do?”, this conversation is for you. 
The CALM Parent
Doors are Open. The Group is capped at 25. Doors close Nov 5th or sooner when the group fills
When the group is full - doors will close, group capped at 25 to keep things supportive, responsive and human
🎧 The CALM Parent - Podcast 
▶️ The CALM Parent - YouTube
BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

You're fluent in everyone's emotional language except your own.
If you grew up with a narcissistic parent, you probably have a PhD in reading other people. You can spot a shift in their mood, anticipate what they need, and know exactly which version of yourself keeps the peace.
But what about your own thesis? What do you feel, want and need?
The clench of your jaw when a friend cancels again. The lump you swallow down when a comment lands. The sting of resentment after yet another yes you didn't mean. Your body has been speaking all along. In this episode, we start listening.
This isn't about overanalysing yourself. It's about getting curious, trusting what your body tells you, and slowly building a relationship with the person you were never allowed to be.
The CALM Parent
Doors are Open. The Group is capped at 25. Doors close Nov 5th or sooner when the group fills
When the group is full - doors will close, group capped at 25 to keep things supportive, responsive and human
🎧 The CALM Parent - Podcast 
▶️ The CALM Parent - YouTube
BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

"It really made me feel like it was a kind of Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde kind of life."
For two weeks of every month, Dr. Shubhangi Karmakar was thriving: studying medicine, completing a master's, and researching PMDD. 
The other two weeks of the month, they wanted to crawl out of their skin, and wondered what the point of it all was.
In this episode, we talk about PMDD – premenstrual dysphoric disorder – a severe hormonal mood disorder. 
Dr. Shubhangi is a practising clinician, psychiatry researcher, and barrister in Ireland, and they brings both their clinical expertise and their lived experience to the conversation.
We explore what PMDD can look like, from depression, hopelessness, and anxiety to sudden rage, exhaustion, sleep and appetite changes, and difficulty concentrating. 
We also talk about how it affects relationships and your sense of self, the relief that comes when symptoms lift, and why every person's experience is different. 
Whether you suspect you have PMDD, have a diagnosis, or want to support a friend, sister, partner, or daughter, this conversation offers understanding, validation, and practical next steps.
Resources mentioned, including a free, evidence-based PMDD self-assessment you can bring to your clinician, are linked in the show notes.
Form:
Gold Standard - Severity of Symptoms

Websites:
IAPMD.org

Clinics / Services:
Marblearchhealth.com
Drummartin Clinic
Kingsbridge Private Hospital
The Menopause hub
Well Woman Centre
The CALM Parent
Doors are Open. The Group is capped at 25. Doors close Nov 5th or sooner when the group fills
When the group is full - doors will close, group capped at 25 to keep things supportive, responsive and human
🎧 The CALM Parent - Podcast 
▶️ The CALM Parent - YouTube
BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast