Beyond Survival - The Therapy Podcast with Katie McKenna

• The Fixer’s Trap - Managing Compulsive Thoughts

  In series 2 of Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Ruth Callaghan where we explore two powerful listener questions.First, how can you be a better parent when you’ve grown up as a “fawn type” people-pleaser, and why do your underlying motivations matter so much? Then, we dive into the challenge of managing intrusive, compulsive thoughts - the constant urge to help, fix, or rescue others. We’ll unpack what’s really driving these patterns, and share insights on how to respond with more clarity, balance, and self-compassion.If you want us to answer your question on the Podcast email;  [email protected] Dr. Ruth Callaghan on TikTokFollow Dr. Ruth Callaghan on Instagramhttps://www.callaghancounselling.ie/BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

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• 10. 'Breaking The Cycle' with Maggie Nick

  This week I’m joined by Maggie Nick, a recovering burned-out overachiever, people-pleaser, perfectionist, pushover, and shape-shifting chameleon, what she calls a Recovering Good Kid. Now a trauma therapist, parenting expert, and cycle-breaking mother, Maggie knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up as “the one nobody ever needed to worry about.” For years, she thought her perfectionism and people-pleasing were simply part of her personality, until therapy at 25 revealed they were actually lifelong relational trauma responses.In this episode, we dive into what relationships look like after trauma, the challenges and breakthroughs of parenting after trauma, and how to begin breaking free from old survival patterns to build something new.Maggie Nick, LCSW, MSWFollow Maggie on TikTokFollow Maggie on InstagramLearn more about Maggie's Camp Loveable and her other offerings here.BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

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• 9. What do I need?

  When you grow up in a dysfunctional family system, you are conditioned to silence your needs to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or gain approval. Over time, it can feel impossible to even recognise what you truly want or need. In this solo episode, I discuss how that conditioning takes root, how to start recognising the needs you’ve been taught to ignore, and how to meet them in ways that feel safe, nourishing, and free from guilt or shame.BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

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• 8. Relentless Whispers

  In this solo episode, I explore the relentless whispers of the inner critic - that constant, internal voice that undermines, judges, and shames. I delve into where it comes from, how it develops (especially in childhood), and what function it might have served. Most importantly, I share practical ways to challenge, quiet, and reduce its power so you can start relating to yourself with more compassion and clarity.BEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

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• 7. 'The Cult of Family' with Daniella Mestyanek Young

  The Cult of Family explores the reality of growing up in a narcissistic system that demands silence, obedience, and self-erasure.In this episode, I sit down with Daniella, a scholar of cults, extreme groups and extremely bad leadership, who also brings her own lived experience of being raised in a cult. Together, we unpack the unsettling parallels between cults and narcissistic families; the control, the domination, the rigid rules, how perception is distorted, and how identity is supressed in the name of loyalty and “love.”But this conversation goes deeper than the system, it asks; What happens after you leave?We discuss the lasting psychological impact, how these environments stunt development and self-trust, and what it really takes to heal. We explore the blocks that so often emerge in recovery, shame, confusion, disconnection, and how to start rebuilding a self that was never allowed to fully form.This conversation is for anyone who’s broken free, or is beginning to, and is asking: What now?Click here to follow Daniella on TikTokClick here to follow Daniella on InstagramBEYOND SURVIVAL - The Therapy Podcast

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