Episodes
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In this solo episode, I’m exploring how to develop emotional closeness in your relationships. I discuss why some people struggle with vulnerability, how emotional immaturity creates barriers to closeness, and practical ways to practice emotional connection. Some family members may never be capable of deep emotional intimacy. Developing emotional closeness for yourself often means accepting these limitations while still finding meaningful connections elsewhere.
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit
Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
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In this Q&A episode, I’m addressing why some mothers copy their daughters' appearance and behavior and what to do when in-laws constantly offer help but never follow through. As part of my Little Epiphanies part of the show, I also discuss emotional immaturity and enmeshment in parent-child relationships as seen in the Netflix show "Ginny and Georgia.”
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at (866) 225-5466
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit
Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Missing episodes?
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What do you do when the person who needs care is someone who caused you significant harm? In this solo episode, I’m addressing what is probably one of the most dreaded dilemmas facing estranged adult children: how to navigate caring for aging parents. We’ll explore different types of care that are available for you to choose from and other complex emotional and practical considerations.
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Connect with Whitney
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram | sitwithwhit
Follow Whitney on YouTube | @whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
In this Q&A episode, I’m discussing the discovery of sexual abuse in the family and providing practical advice for someone struggling with boundary violations from their mother. We explore the concept of true boundaries and concrete strategies when nice requests aren’t working.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Connect with Whitney
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram
Follow Whitney on YouTube
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Whitney speaks with Etinosa Agbonlahor about navigating difficult financial conversations with parents. They discuss strategies for approaching retirement planning, setting financial boundaries with financially irresponsible parents, and handling the emotional complexity of money conversations that often involve mortality and family dynamics.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Connect with Etinosa
Book: "How to Talk to Your Parents About Money: A Short Practical Guide: Conversations That Build Peace, Confidence, and Financial Security” (available on Amazon)
Website: https://etinosaa.com/
Podcast: Her First House
Connect with Whitney
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram
Follow Whitney on YouTube
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
In this solo episode, Whitney critiques a New York Times opinion piece claiming therapy culture is linked to declining birth rates. Drawing from her work with populations of estranged adults and research for her upcoming book on parent-child estrangement, Whitney addresses harmful misconceptions about why adults choose to limit contact with parents.
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram
Follow Whitney on YouTube
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
This week, I sat down with siblings Haley and Chad from the Necessary Conversation Podcast. Each week, they sit down with their parents to talk about politics and they invite us to listen (to say their political beliefs differ would be quite the understatement). They discuss their temporary estrangement due to politics and why they continue to sit down every week to have these conversations.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Hi! I'm answering two caller questions today. Caller 1 was abused by her father, and now he's getting remarried to someone with young children. Caller 2 told her sister about their parents' abusive behavior, and it didn't go as planned.
In the first ten minutes of the show, I recap some dysfunctional TV family dynamics in Sirens and Nine Perfect Strangers.
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
In this episode, I discuss one reason young people end relationships with their parents: their desire for differentiation. You will learn why differentiation is crucial for healthy family dynamics, why adults may need to establish strict boundaries with their parents, and how relationships are formed based on role vs. relationship quality.
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
I'm back with two caller questions this week. Caller 1 has been waiting for her siblings to see her perspective, but now that they have, she's having some conflicting emotions. Caller 2 is trying to make sense of her sister's apparent amnesia of their father's abuse.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
You were the responsible one. The quiet one. The one who didn’t need much. And now, as an adult, you feel stuck—like you never got the chance to just be a kid, and it’s holding you back.
Grieving a childhood that was chaotic, neglectful, abusive, devoid of emotional connection, or overly parentified can be challenging. You may feel like you’re stuck in your childhood or your child self, and like you can’t seem to let go or move into adulthood.
In this episode, I explain what it means to grieve your childhood, the impact of a missed childhood, and how to become the adult you need.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Imagine your parents disapprove of your partner, and they're outwardly hateful about the life you've chosen to live. You had to end your relationship with them because of this. But now you're thinking about having a baby, and you want your baby to have grandparents.
What would you do in this situation? That's one of the issues we're navigating in the latest Q&A episode out now.
About the Host
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Calling Home Monthly Topic
May | Grieving Complicated Relationship: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
• Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
• Follow Whitney on Instagram
• Follow Whitney on YouTube
• Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
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Episode #116 of the Calling Home Podcast with Whitney Goodman, LMFT
In this solo episode, Whitney Goodman explores the complex grief that comes with mourning a parent who wasn't emotionally or physically present. Whether the parent is still alive but unwilling to change or has passed away, Whitney explores the confusing emotions that can arise and provides practical guidance on navigating both forms of loss.
About the Host
Whitney Goodman is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and the founder of Calling Home, a membership community that helps people navigate complex family dynamics and break harmful cycles.
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466
Calling Home Monthly Topic
May | Grieving Complicated Relationship: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Join the Family Cyclebreakers Club
Follow Whitney on Instagram
Follow Whitney on YouTube
Order Whitney’s book, Toxic Positivity
Learn more about ad choices. Visit podcast.choices.com/adchoices
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Mother's Day is this weekend, and I know that is hard for many of you. In this episode, I discuss who should be "celebrated" on Mother's Day and answer several of your questions about how to grieve and estrangement.
Here are those resources I mentioned in the episode:
Mother-Daughter Relationship worksheets, videos, scripts, and articles
The Adult Daughters with Difficult Mothers Group
Q&A: My Mom Didn't Protect Me From My Dad
Q&A: My Mom Snuck Alcohol Around My Child
Q&A: Mother's Day
Mother-Daughter Relationships: Why Mothers Criticize
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This is an episode that every trauma survivor—and the people who love them—should listen to. Nate is an amazing speaker who discusses childhood trauma from a survivor's perspective, and I have no doubt this episode will deeply impact you.
You can learn more about Nate and his work here.
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Wow, so sorry for that mixup. My advice for Caller 1 has completely changed after I heard the entire voicemail, not just half of it. If you've already listened, this is an updated version of that episode.
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
This episode is about repair, not perfection. You will learn:
Why we react in ways we don't want to
Why self-compassion is crucial for repair
How to repair (with exact steps)
May at Calling Home - Grieving Complicated Relationships: https://callinghome.co/grieving-complicated-relationships
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Order Whitney's book, Toxic Positivity.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Hi! We have two caller questions this week + my three little epiphanies:
Some families are “role” families and some families are “relationship families.”
Sometimes the most adult thing you can do is stand up for yourself.
There is a special pain in families where people know exactly how to act around others, but give you the worst version of themselves.
Caller 1 feels like a rest stop to her father and never his actual destination. Caller 2 is asking about personality changes for elderly adults.
Take the Estranged Adult Child survey before June 30, 2025: https://cmnyyv4kpyt.typeform.com/to/qQRbFnc3
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
This episode is for anyone who is navigating estrangement. I sat down with Eamon Dolan, the author of the new book, The Power of Parting.
We discuss:
The hidden epidemic of child abuse at the hands of their family members
Why estrangement is so taboo and challenging
Eamon's steps for navigating estrangement and how to approach it
Why our family members need to treat us like friends
If you are an adult who is estranged from one or both of your parents, please complete my Estranged Adult Survey before June 30, 2025.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Today, we have two caller questions. I also talk about my three little epiphanies for the week:
The most ineffective way to resume contact with someone after estrangement is by demanding a relationship with them.
For some adults, their parents are their biggest haters.
There’s a big difference between not wanting kids and feeling like you can’t have them because of your own childhood wounds.
Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club: www.callinghome.co/join
Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466.
Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit
Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft
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