We talk often about mindset and perspective—but sometimes the focus stays on what needs to change instead of how change actually happens.

As we return from a short break, we’re resurfacing this episode because it feels especially relevant and leads into an important youth mental health awareness conversation next week.

In this episode, we focus on common negative thinking patterns—often called mind traps—that many of us fall into without realizing it. We share relatable examples and practical ways to recognize these patterns with more awareness and compassion.

The 10 thinking patterns discussed:

All-or-Nothing Thinking · Overgeneralization · Mental Filter · Discounting the Positive · Jumping to Conclusions · Magnification/Minimization · Emotional Reasoning · “Should”-ing Yourself · Labeling · Personalization/Blame

This episode helps set context for next week, when we widen the lens and focus on awareness—looking at the numbers and scope of youth mental illness and trauma.

🎧 New episodes return next week.

“Theme Song created by Wendy Babcock / WHEN Stories™”

In this week’s episode, we explore what it means to honor family voices, especially during the holidays when traditions, expectations, and emotions can run high.

Using Christmas as our lens, we talk about having intentional conversations around what still matters, what needs to be let go of, and how to respect the needs of each individual. Honoring family voices doesn’t mean agreement—it means listening, acknowledging, and making space.

We also reference my Brainz Magazine article, “Honest Communication at Home – How Family Teaches Us Courageous Conversations,” and briefly discuss our upcoming course, Honoring Family Voices, and why this work matters for families navigating change and growth.

This episode is an invitation to reflect on how we communicate, celebrate, and stay connected during the holidays and beyond.

https://www.brainzmagazine.com/post/honest-communication-at-home-how-family-teaches-us-courageous-conversations

“Theme Song created by Wendy Babcock / WHEN Stories™”

This week’s episode builds on our conversation about The Consequences of Disrupting Family Patterns and moves into a deeper, more personal layer: the emotional impact of estrangement within a family system.

Estrangement often carries a story of rupture, but the emotional reality is far more complex. In this episode, we talk about the mix of feelings that emerge when distance becomes part of a family system, including grief, guilt, sadness, freedom, and gratitude. We explore how these emotional consequences can shift over time, especially when someone is breaking generational patterns or choosing boundaries as a path to healing family relationships.

We also share how we have each moved through different phases of family estrangement. What helped, what surprised us, and what we learned along the way. And woven throughout the conversation is the emotion that doesn’t always get named: hope. Hope that communication might return someday. Hope that repair is possible. Hope that the separation itself may hold meaning rather than shame.

If you’ve experienced estrangement, are considering distance as a family boundary, or are trying to make sense of the emotional layers that follow, this episode offers a grounded, compassionate look at the human experience behind the word. It’s a conversation about navigating the emotional landscape of estrangement. Not just the pain, but the possibility.

“Theme Song created by Wendy Babcock / WHEN Stories™”

This week’s conversation takes us into the heart of what it really means to break a long-standing generational pattern inside a family system. We often talk about the importance of “breaking the cycle,” but we don’t always acknowledge the emotional fallout that comes with it. The beauty, the mess, and the unexpected consequences that follow when someone chooses a healthier path.

In this episode, we explore why disrupting dysfunctional family patterns can sometimes open the door to repair and reconciliation, creating deeper connection and healing. And we also talk about why, other times, the same choice leads to distance, rupture, or full estrangement. A common outcome when someone begins breaking family cycles or setting new boundaries.

We share pieces of our own lived experience, including moments where choosing growth strengthened our family relationships and moments where it created separation. Our stories hold both sides of the journey, and we talk openly about the grief, clarity, and intergenerational healing that each path brought.

If you’re navigating family estrangement, working to heal parent–child relationships, or trying to understand the tension between honoring yourself and maintaining family ties, this episode offers a grounded and compassionate look at the complexity of rupture versus repair within a family system.

“Theme Song created by Wendy Babcock / WHEN Stories™”

The holidays can bring joy, but they can also bring pressure, stress, and even sadness. In this episode, we explore how to navigate the season with more ease, presence, and compassion. For yourself and others.

We dive into one of our favorite mantras, “Expect nothing, appreciate everything”, and why we sometimes say it backwards to put acceptance first.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• How to embrace the fact that Christmas doesn’t need to look the same every year. Accept where you are and the energy you have to bring—it will naturally fluctuate from year to year.
• Why meeting people where they are is essential for meaningful connection during the holidays. Let go of rigid expectations and simply appreciate the moments.
• The importance of honest conversations with yourself. Learn how to check in, assess what you have to give, and communicate with yourself compassionately.
• How to approach conversations with others authentically, while remembering how they respond is not your responsibility.

This episode is a gentle reminder to slow down, honor your own needs—including those feelings of sadness—and celebrate the moments that truly matter during the holidays.

Key Takeaways:

• Accept your current energy and limitations—holiday magic doesn’t have to be perfect.
• Appreciate the people and moments you have right now.
• Allow yourself to feel all the emotions the holidays bring, including sadness.
• Honest self-reflection is the first step toward honest, compassionate communication with others.

“Theme Song created by Wendy Babcock / WHEN Stories™”

This episode runs longer than our usual conversations, and for good reason. We’re opening the door to some of the hardest decisions we’ve ever made as a family. The kind most people don’t talk about publicly.

We walk through what it actually looked like to put our core family first, even when it meant letting go of things we once believed were permanent.

Including:

• Selling our dream home because peace mattered more than the picture-perfect life.
• Sharing hard truths that shifted how we saw ourselves—and each other.
• Navigating estrangement, the kind that breaks your heart and reshapes your priorities.

This episode is raw, honest, and grounded in the belief that choosing your core family, the one you commit to every day, is an act of courage. And while the decisions were heavy, we’ve also found something we didn’t expect on the other side: deeper clarity, stronger connections, and hope. The kind that’s built, not wished for.

If you’ve ever had to make a decision that didn’t make sense to anyone but you… this one is for you.

“Theme Song created by Wendy Babcock / WHEN Stories™”

In this episode, Abigail and Kelly explore where healing really begins when family dynamics feel heavy or overwhelming.

Instead of diving straight into solutions, we focus on creating the space and clarity that make everything else possible.

We talk about what happens when you release the pressure you’ve been carrying—when you stop expecting outcomes and start appreciating what is. This reset allows you to notice the family dynamic with more calm, presence, and clarity.

From there, we share what it looks like to observe without judgment or ego. With the pressure off, emotions, needs, and behaviors become more visible. You begin to see the reality of the dynamic, and the distinction between what’s yours and what isn’t becomes clearer.

We also touch on compassionate communication—how meeting people where they are, rather than where you wish they were, creates space for conversations that feel safer, softer, and more productive.

This episode is an introduction—a chance to name the phases and feel the shift, without breaking down every step.

Future episodes will dive deeper into each part, giving tools, examples, and language you can use to navigate family dynamics with clarity and care.

For now, this is your starting point: a moment to step back, breathe, and begin seeing your family clearly.

What is a Core Family Unit?

Well, that's what today's episode is all about! Join us as we share our definition of the Core Family Unit, what they all have in common, and why we believe it is so important for us to focus here first.

If you're looking to sort through layers of expectations, or trying to figure out how to show up with love, compassion, and without feeling burnt-out, this is a great episode for you!

Mentioned in this episode:

(15:02): "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

(19:56): Elise Meyers - https://elysemyers.com/

(22:50): 'The Art of Restoring Your Body and Soul' with Lisa Medley