Beyond Survival - The Therapy Podcast with Katie McKenna
This Podcast is for anyone who grew up up in a dysfunctional or narcissistic family system and now finds themselves stuck in patterns of people-pleasing, anxiety or unhealthy relationships.
Each episode offers real-world insight into trauma recovery, relationships, boundaries, nervous system healing and reconnecting to your true self.
Whether your just starting your healing journey or looking to deepen it, you’re welcome here - just as you are
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 41 minutes
- Episodes
- 13
- Years Active
- 2025
Toxic Guilt: Why it still feels like my fault
Toxic guilt is that heavy, misplaced guilt that convinces us we’ve done something wrong, even when we haven’t. It’s one of the hardest legacies of childhood trauma, and it can follow us into adulthoo…
S2.Ep.1- 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…
Ep.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 th…
Ep.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 w…
Ep.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 (esp…
Ep.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…
Ep.6- 'Never Enough' with Claire Fealy
Exploring the Fear beneath Perfectionism and High Achievement
In this deep dive, Podcast Host & Mindset Coach Claire Fealy joins me to unpack the fear that hides beneath high achievement and perfectio…
Ep.5- Empathy Without Enmeshment
If you grew up in a narcissistic or emotionally chaotic household, chances are you were taught to feel for others, but not for yourself.
In this episode, we’re unpacking what empathy actually is, why…
Ep.4- The Invisible Wounds of Childhood
In this solo episode, I'm exploring the invisible wounds that form in childhood when you're raised in dysfunctional or narcissistic family systems — ranging from hyper-dependence to hyper-independenc…
Ep.3- ‘External Control’ with Adele Martelle (Part 2)
Control is everywhere, often disguised as protection, tradition or morality!
This is part 2 with Adele Martelle, where we're unpacking the subtle and not-so-subtle way control operates with society a…
Ep.2- 'How to Build Trust' with Adele Martelle (Part 1)
How do we lose touch with who we really are?
This week I am delighted to be joined by Adele Martelle, who specialises in treating complex CPTSD and Religious Trauma. In part one, we dive into how earl…
Ep.1 - 'Coercive Control' with Ann Larkin
In this powerful episode I’m joined by Ann Larkin, CEO from Women's Aid Dundalk, to explore the insidious nature of coercive control in romantic relationships.
We discuss how coercive control can loo…
Introduction
In this first episode, I’m introducing Beyond Survival – The Therapy Podcast and sharing more about who this space is for and what you can expect from future episodes.
I’ll tell you a little bit about…