
Show Notes
Family holidays are meant to be relaxing, so why do they so often leave us feeling exhausted? This week, Julia, Emily and Sophie answer a listener's question about navigating a passive-aggressive mother-in-law and the tension that can build when one person's mood begins to shape everyone else's experience. Together, they explore the power of radical acceptance, why we can't change other people's behaviour, how to protect your own peace without carrying someone else's emotions, and practical ways to set boundaries, repair relationships and enjoy your holiday - even when family dynamics are anything but simple.
Send us your Agony Aunties questions: [email protected]
Or message Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe
More from Therapy Works:
Subscribe to the Therapy Works Substack for guidance on everyday struggles and access to Julia’s monthly live webinar: https://juliasamuel.substack.com/
Grieving someone you love? Julia's Grief Works Support Programme offers structured, expert-led help, with 94% of people reporting feeling better after using it. As a podcast listener you can get 25% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee here - www.griefworks.com/therapy
Follow Julia on Instagram: @juliasamuelmbe for tips, tools, and conversations about navigating life’s challenges.
If you enjoy this episode, please consider rating, reviewing, and subscribing - it makes a big difference and helps others discover these conversations.
If you need help finding a therapist, visit: The Samuel Therapy Practice
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Therapy Works
How does childhood trauma fuel adult addiction?
This week’s listener is heartbroken by sibling estrangement. Psychotherapist Julia Samuel and her daughters Sophie and Emily explore the pain it causes, why family conflicts can be so difficult to repair and the challenges of parenting adult children when you can no longer influence their decisions.
To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, author and former teacher Rosanna Brown joins Julia Samuel to share the story of her son William and her experience of termination for medical reasons (TFMR).
This week’s listener has recently been diagnosed with ADHD after a lifetime of struggling with strong emotions and impulsivity. While the diagnosis has brought her and her husband a huge sense of relief, understanding and emotional healing, her mother and sisters refuse to accept it, believing her successful career and relationship mean she couldn’t possibly have ADHD.
What happens when a parent is absent from your childhood, and how does that shape the person you become?