Has your relationship with your mother brought more pain than comfort?

The mother wound is real, painful, and often invisible to outsiders—but healing is possible.

Join me and Stephi as we unpack the deeply misunderstood journey of women who recognize the “mother wound”—emotional enmeshment, manipulation, and conditional love—and make the toughest choice: breaking free.

🌿 Key behaviors that signal a toxic maternal relationship, and how you can l identify them in your own experience

🌿 The various ways toxic maternal behaviors typically impact emotional and mental well-being

🌿 Recommended boundaries for protecting yourself when dealing with a toxic mother

🌿 How can you tell if you are taking on undue responsibility for your mother’s emotions or actions?

🌿 Support systems or resources most effective for those navigating toxic maternal relationships

🌿 Common patterns in interactions with toxic mothers that should be addressed for healthier dynamics

🌿 Actionable steps for prioritizing healing and personal growth in the context of a toxic relationship with your mother

🌿Why no contact is sometimes the only option you are left with

Stephi Wagner is a therapist and mother wound specialist. She is the courageous voice behind the popular Instagram account @motherwoundproject.

After earning both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (Go Blue!), Stephi founded the Mother Wound Project, which she now’s serves as the director. In addition, Stephi works privately with clients impacted by the mother wound and is the author of Reclaim.

Stephi is sought internationally for her expertise in the mother wound, as well as in attachment trauma, developmental trauma, complex trauma, parental trauma, parenting after trauma, parent-child estrangement, and reconciliation.

Stephi is a survivor of the mother wound and the father wound. She splits her parent-free-and-happy life between Ann Arbor and Detroit in her favorite state of Michigan where she lives with her husband of 17 years, their son, and the family’s resident felines. When she’s not thinking or talking about the mother wound, you’ll find Stephi knitting, hiking, crocheting, reading, or hand quilting.

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Episode Sponsor:

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MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌 The Mother Wound Project - http://www.motherwoundproject.com/

📌 [Journal] Reclaim: A 60-Day Journal for Healing the Mother Wound - https://www.motherwoundproject.com/product-page/reclaim-a-60-day-journal-for-healing-the-mother-wound

CONNECT WITH STEPHI:

📌 Website: http://motherwoundproject.com/

📌...

Have you ever felt responsible for a parent’s emotions—like it was your job to keep them happy, calm, or stable?

Were you praised for being the “mature one,” even though you were silently falling apart inside?

Do you ever struggle to know where your needs end and someone else’s begin?

If so, you may have grown up enmeshed.

In this episode, let's explore how enmeshment, adultification, and complex trauma converge to distort the victim's identity and long-term relational health.

🌿What is enmeshment?

🌿Family dynamics that lead to enmeshment

🌿The difference between being “useful” and valued

🌿Signs that you are in an enmeshed relationship

🌿How to start setting boundaries to free yourself from enmeshment

🌿Enmeshment is a form of covert bullying

🌿Navigating the process of enmeshment all the way to estrangement

🌿How this process is unique to each person and the specific dynamics of each family

🌿How patterns of enmeshment impact you all throughout life

🌿How parents respond when you set boundaries on their enmeshment

Jordan Pickell is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, clinical supervisor, and co-host of the popular podcast Edge of the Couch, which delves into the nuances of therapy practice. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in relational trauma, boundary-setting, and complex family dynamics.

Jordan works extensively with eldest daughters, adult children of immigrants, and individuals breaking the cycle of intergenerational dysfunction. She has spoken at conferences, contributed to panels on the intersections of gender, trauma, and culture, and facilitated workshops such as Build Better Boundaries and Navigating Fractured Relationships with Difficult Parents.

Her work empowers individuals to address relational challenges while staying aligned with their values and capacity. Drawing from personal experience and professional expertise, Jordan brings a compassionate, practical approach to her work, making her uniquely qualified to guide people on their journey from family dysfunction to healing and wholeness.

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Episode Sponsor:

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

📌[Podcast] Edge of the Couch - https://edgeofthecouch.com/

CONNECT WITH JORDAN:

📌 Website: http://www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca/

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanpickellcounselling/

📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgeofthecouchpod

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MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

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MY TEDx TALK:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

BOOKS BY DR. SHERRIE CAMPBELL:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut. - https://amzn.to/3L3sMuA

⚉ But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath - https://amzn.to/3tuNQEn

⚉ Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for Dealing with

In many toxic families, the scapegoat becomes the emotional and psychological sponge for everyone else’s dysfunction, pain, and projection. It’s a trauma-inducing role that is often misunderstood, dismissed, or mischaracterized as “drama.” But for those who live it, scapegoating is a profound and persistent form of psychological abuse.

One of our bravehearts, LaToya Rice, shares her personal experience as the scapegoated twin in a toxic family system. Our conversation explored the depth of this role and the toll it takes—not only on mental health but also on a person’s ability to form identity, trust themselves, and find safety in the world.

🌱 Mother Wounding

🌱 Jealous mothers seek to destroy their daughters

🌱 Being the scapegoated child

🌱How gossip destroys connection

🌱 Faith, knowledge, and therapy are the big game changers of healing

🌱 Setting and following through on your boundaries lead you to peace and freedom

LaToya Rice is a long-time, bravehearted follower of Dr. Sherrie for 7 years.

*****

Episode Sponsor:

Hiya is revolutionizing children's health with a pediatrician-approved, sugar-free multivitamin designed to nourish growing kids with the essential nutrients they need—without the junk. Made with 15 key vitamins and minerals, Hiya’s chewable formula is free from artificial sweeteners, dyes, and gummy additives, offering a cleaner, healthier approach to kids’ nutrition. Trusted by parents and loved by kids, Hiya is on a mission to build lifelong wellness habits from the very first bite.

Use my link 👉 https://hiyahealth.pxf.io/c/5964558/1730519/20098 to get 50% off of your first order with HIYA and free delivery!

*****

Mentioned in the episode:

📌[Book] Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for Dealing with Toxic People While Empowering Yourself - https://amzn.to/3JBql1R

*****

MY LATEST BOOK!!!

Adult Survivors of Emotionally Abusive Parents: How to Heal, Cultivate Emotional Resilience, and Build the Life and Love You Deserve - https://amzn.to/3UhURWI

*****

My TEDx Talk:

📌 TEDx Talk Not All Parents Are Good by Dr. Sherrie Campbell - https://youtu.be/deyHwDkG7oc

Books by Dr. Sherrie Campbell:

⚉ Adult Survivors of Toxic Family Members: Tools to Maintain Boundaries, Deal with Criticism, and Heal from Shame After Ties Have Been Cut. - https://amzn.to/3L3sMuA

⚉ But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath - https://amzn.to/3tuNQEn

⚉ Your Pocket Therapist: Quick Hacks for Dealing with Toxic People While Empowering Yourself - https://amzn.to/3JBql1R

⚉ Success Equations: A Path to Living an Emotionally Wealthy Life - https://amzn.to/3uobd1u

⚉ Loving Yourself: The Mastery of Being Your Own Person - https://amzn.to/36mlXp5

Connect with Dr. Sherrie Campbell:

⚉ Website: https://drsherriecampbell.com/

⚉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherrieCampbellPhD

Check out the Sherapy Master Class: The Toxic Family Sherapy Course designed to help people master toxic family members and turn their life around to one of freedom, peace, and empowerment. Click here https://bit.ly/SherapyMasterclass

Get early access to news, insights, and tips straight from your inbox. Subscribe to Dr. Sherrie’s email list, go to https://drsherriecampbell.com/