Show Notes
Have you ever realised a blazing row with your partner might actually have nothing to do with them… and everything to do with your sibling dynamic growing up?
This week on Relatively, Catherine Carr is joined by therapist Lisa Bruton to unpack the huge, and often subconscious, impact our brothers and sisters have on every aspect of adult life.
Lisa, the youngest of three girls (still known by her sisters as “Podgy Poo”), explains why people regularly walk into therapy wanting to discuss marriage, work stress, or relationships… only to spend the session untangling sibling history instead.
From birth order and sibling rivalry to Family Systems Theory, Catherine and Lisa explore why family gatherings can instantly drag us back into childhood roles, whether you were “the responsible one”, “the messy one”, or the peacekeeper in the middle trying to disappear entirely.
The episode also dives into the growing rise of sibling therapy, with more adult siblings choosing to work through past wounds together to improve their future relationships.
At its emotional core, this conversation tackles sibling estrangement, the guilt, shame, and silence surrounding stepping away from toxic family dynamics. Lisa also shares a surprisingly simple way to start breaking free from the labels your family still places on you, without causing a full family fallout.
Featuring brilliant archive moments from past guests including Caitlin Moran, Gok Wan, and Dan Snow, this is a funny, eye-opening, and deeply validating episode that may completely change how you see your family and yourself. If this one hit home, share it with your siblings.
Subscribe to the Relatively Podcast channel so you never miss an episode:
https://www.youtube.com/@relativelypodcast
Listen to every episode here:
Follow and connect with us:
Facebook: @Relatively.pc
Instagram: @relativelypodcast
Website: https://www.relativelypodcast.com/
#Relatively #SiblingTherapy #FamilyDynamics
More from Relatively
Ever wondered what it's really like to grow up competing for a billionaire media or music empire? Or how the "perfect" family sitcoms of the 90s shaped our real-world sibling expectations?
Hands up if you've learnt all about families from the Kardashians? Ross and Monica on Friends?
Imagine being left out of your mother’s will. Do you fight for what you think is yours, or protect the relationship with the siblings who inherited everything?
What happens when the interviewer becomes the interviewee? To kick off the return of Relatively, the tables are turned as author, poet, and presenter Salma El-Wardany takes over the host's chair momentarily from Catherine Carr.
After 60 episodes recorded hunched over a pile of laundry in a spare room, Relatively is heading to Spotify HQ with the HERA network, and Catherine Carr is back, this time digging into some of the longest, messiest, and most meaningful relationships we have: the ones with our siblings. This special four-part mini-series ties in with Catherine’s new book Who’s the Favourite? and gets into all those sibling dynamics we don’t always talk about (but definitely feel). Here’s what’s coming this season: - Salma El-Wardany, broadcaster and author, turns the tables and interviews Catherine. Is she the favourite? Plus, Salma shares what it’s really like being the youngest… and basically the family’s emotional support human. @salmaelwardany - Daisy Goodwin, TV producer, screenwriter and author, talks about the pressure of being the eldest daughter, and the moment she found out she’d been unexpectedly cut out of her mother’s will. @daisygeorgagoodwin - Lisa Bruton, therapist, explains why more siblings are going to therapy together, and how our relationships with them shape how lovable we think we are. @lisabrutontherapy - And we wrap things up with a bit of fun, breaking down iconic fictional siblings, from the Bennett sisters to Ross and Rachel’s unforgettable dance routine. New episodes dropping every week. Subscribe to the Relatively Podcast channel so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@relativelypodcast Listen to every episode here: https://pod.link/relatively Find Catherine's book Who's The Favourite? here — Follow and connect with us: Facebook: @Relativelypodcast Instagram: @relativelypodcast Website: https://www.relativelypodcast.com/ #Relatively #SiblingDynamics #FamilyRelationships Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.