In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, I share about family systems theory and the roles we can play. And how this connects to why during the holiday season, we may feel like we revert back to our child or teen selves the minute we're with family again! I also give some helpful reminders to helping manage the stress around family and holidays this season.

I also want to thank each of you for receiving these messages, for listening to my podcast and thank you so much to those of you who have rated the show.

I will be visiting Kentucky (where I'm from) this year for the first time since 2019! So, this will be my last episode of 2024.

I have such exciting guests planned for 2025 and some creative topics for us to GET CURIOUS about together!

For now, I hope this episode helps you understand a bit more about your family, yourself and some tips for navigating all this as we wrap up this year.

Have a wonderful holiday season and wishing you all the grace and peace for the new year!

Vanessa

PS- I want to send some gentle compassion to those of you missing someone this holiday season. I hope you can nurture yourself through any grief that might be surfacing.

To connect with Vanessa:

Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook

Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos

Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com)

Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology

Disclaimer:
This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.

In today's episode of The Curious Therapist Show, it’s part 2 of how to set boundaries. I would suggest listening to part 1 if you haven’t yet and then come back:)

Boundaries are limits we set to protect our energy- emotional, mental, and physical.

One of my fav quotes about boundaries is:

"Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves even when we risk disappointing others" (Brene Brown)

This really sums up why so many people struggle to set boundaries. Our fears of rejection, of "letting others down", the guilt we may feel saying "no", the fear of a missed opportunity, maybe even FOMO (fear of missing out). Perhaps there's complexities here too...family or cultural impacts where we we're taught to self-sacrifice and people please.

A thought I had in preparing for this discussion was reflecting on the developmental stage where 2 or 3 years old ask "why!" 27 times an hour and they say "no" to every question. LOL. I think we need to channel some toddler energy here! We need to ask "why" we're doing something and say "no" more often.

So join Brooke and I for part 2 today!

Resources Mentioned:

Brown Girl Therapy (@browngirltherapy) • Instagram photos and videos

But What Will People Say? by Sahaj Kaur Kohli, MAEd, LGPC: 9780593491195 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

About Courtney Brooke:

Courtney Brooke is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who sees people dealing with life transitions, trauma and a variety of mental health struggles. She provides supervision to other therapists and has taught at the college and university levels.

If you’d like to follow Courtney’s work, you can check her out here:

http://www.bloom-lc.com

More about Courtney Brooke Sergent-Fox:

Courtney Brooke is an eclectic soul. Her love for others, nature, truth and grace is all evidenced in her work as a mental health provider. As a clinical supervisor she helps others starting their mental health careers seek knowledge & experience while learning to balance the many needs and demands of life. Her emphasis is on caring for others and caring for self - part of the reason she finds joy in teaching and mentoring other professionals.

To connect with Vanessa:

Find Vanessa on Facebook: (2) Facebook

Find Vanessa on Instagram: Vanessa Preston (@vanessa_preston_) • Instagram photos and videos

Check out Vanessa’s website to find a freebie and all about her intuitive eating and body image programs: Vanessa Preston (podia.com)

Or her practice website: Green life Psychology - Green Life Psychology

Disclaimer:
This podcast represents the opinions of Vanessa Preston and her guests to the show. Vanessa is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and abides by ethics of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). The content here should not be taken as medical or therapeutic advice. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional.