You're Not Crazy: A Podcast for Cycle Breakers with Toxic Parents
Torie Wiksell
25 episodes
2 hours ago
Psychotherapist and Coach, Torie Wiksell, is no stranger to talking about challenging and dysfunctional family dynamics. In addition to specializing in working with the adult children of parents with borderline and narcissistic personality disorders as both a therapist and coach, Torie grew up with a mother who had an unmanaged personality disorder.Torie has spent a significant portion of her 12 year career as a therapist working with clients with personality disorders, their partners, and family members, and brings a unique and relatable perspective to navigating these complicated relationships.Follow TorieOn TikTok: tiktok.com/@theboundariescoachOn Instagram: instagram.com/torieatconfidentboundariesLearn more about Coaching and the Confident Boundaries Membership: www.confidentboundaries.comDisclaimer: This podcast is not therapy. If you are in mental health crisis, please contact the Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You're Not Crazy is a podcast owned and produced by Torie Wiksell and Confident Boundaries, LLC.
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Psychotherapist and Coach, Torie Wiksell, is no stranger to talking about challenging and dysfunctional family dynamics. In addition to specializing in working with the adult children of parents with borderline and narcissistic personality disorders as both a therapist and coach, Torie grew up with a mother who had an unmanaged personality disorder.Torie has spent a significant portion of her 12 year career as a therapist working with clients with personality disorders, their partners, and family members, and brings a unique and relatable perspective to navigating these complicated relationships.Follow TorieOn TikTok: tiktok.com/@theboundariescoachOn Instagram: instagram.com/torieatconfidentboundariesLearn more about Coaching and the Confident Boundaries Membership: www.confidentboundaries.comDisclaimer: This podcast is not therapy. If you are in mental health crisis, please contact the Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You're Not Crazy is a podcast owned and produced by Torie Wiksell and Confident Boundaries, LLC.
In this episode, Torie breaks down why the term family estrangement is so misleading — and why it often fuels stigma against adult children who’ve chosen to go no contact with toxic or narcissistic parents.
If you grew up in a toxic family, you probably learned early on that your role was to take care of everyone else. To smooth things over. To keep the peace. To make sure no one got upset—even if it meant betraying yourself.
Growing up with a narcissistic parent doesn’t just make childhood hard— it shapes how you see yourself, love, and safety. In this deeply personal episode, I share the story I’ve avoided telling publicly until now: how the abuse I experienced from my narcissist mom directly led me straight into an abusive relationship at 18.
This week on You’re Not Crazy, Torie shares a candid conversation for every cycle breaker heading into the holidays with a toxic or emotionally immature parent.
If you’ve ever felt pressured to go no-contact with your toxic parent, shamed for not doing enough, or overwhelmed by black-and-white advice for healing, this episode will remind you that your healing journey is yours—and it doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.
In today’s episode, I’m sharing one of the most important mindset shifts for healing from narcissistic parents or emotionally immature parents: stop asking if they’re a “good person” and start focusing on their repeated behaviors. So many cycle breakers get stuck in the what ifs: What if they don’t mean to hurt me?What if they’re doing their best?What if they had a hard childhood too?But here’s the truth: your healing doesn’t depend on their intentions—it depends on their behavior. When your ...
Lately, I’ve caught myself spiraling into self-gaslighting quite a bit—wondering if I’m exaggerating my childhood trauma, if maybe my mom wasn’t really a narcissist, or if I’m just “too sensitive.” If you’ve ever doubted your own reality, you’re definitely not alone. In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, I share: Why self-gaslighting shows up (especially around stressful seasons like the holidays)The hidden reasons cycle breakers start questioning themselvesHow I personally deal with these tho...
In this episode, therapist and boundaries coach Torie Wiksell (and fellow cycle breaker) exposes the myth of “no contact as a fad” and validates the years—sometimes decades—of exhausting effort cycle breakers pour into maintaining relationships with narcissistic or emotionally immature parents before making the heartbreaking decision to step back. We’ll cover: Why going no contact with a toxic parent is never taken lightlyThe hidden grief and guilt cycle breakers face when boundaries still ar...
Can boundaries actually work with a toxic parent? In this week’s episode of You’re Not Crazy, host Torie Wiksell, therapist, boundaries coach, and fellow cycle breaker, unpacks one of the most common (and confusing) questions adult children of narcissistic, borderline, or emotionally immature parents ask: “Is it even possible to set boundaries with them?” Torie shares: Why boundaries aren’t about changing your toxic parent — but about protecting your peace.The messy gray area between low cont...
In today’s episode, we’re talking about a powerful and underrated concept that every cycle breaker needs: “for now.” When you're navigating toxic family dynamics, it’s easy to get paralyzed by the pressure to make the “perfect” decision—whether it’s going no contact, setting a new boundary, or reaching out for support. But healing isn’t linear, and you're allowed to change your mind. Whether you're deep in indecision or just tired of feeling stuck, this episode will help you take the next ste...
In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, boundaries coach and licensed therapist Torie Wiksell unpacks one of the most damaging cycles cycle breakers face: being scapegoated by toxic parents. Here’s how the pattern works: your boundaries are violated again and again until you finally react—crying, yelling, or shutting down. That’s when your family points at you as “the problem.” This toxic blame-shifting convinces you that your needs are unreasonable, leading you to overextend yourself at work, i...
Feeling like you’re “not healed enough” from your toxic family patterns? You’re not broken—and you’re not alone. In this powerful episode of You’re Not Crazy, therapist and boundaries coach Torie Wiksell dismantles the harmful myth of perfect healing that keeps so many cycle breakers stuck in shame and self-judgment. You’ll learn why healing from narcissistic, borderline, or emotionally immature parents is messy, non-linear, and never a one-and-done checklist—and how chasing “completely heale...
This week, I’m sharing a personal story I never expected to be telling: what it’s been like to go viral on TikTok as a boundaries coach for adult children of toxic parents. Spoiler alert—if you’ve ever wondered whether your healing work is actually paying off, I promise this episode will help you see your own progress more clearly. I talk about the hate comments that echoed things my narcissistic mom used to say, the emotional whiplash of visibility, and the surprising power of not needing pe...
You’re not stuck because you’re lazy—you’re stuck because you were trained to put everyone else first. In this episode, I walk you through the mental blocks that keep cycle breakers paralyzed—especially the guilt that makes boundary-setting feel impossible. Plus, I’m sharing a one-time offer to get everything you need to finally break through—inside the Boundaries Bootcamp Bundle. Don’t miss this: it’s available through Tuesday at midnight. Click here to grab the Boundaries Bootcamp Bun...
Do you catch yourself writing paragraph-long texts just to say “no”? Do you feel the urge to explain every decision, anticipate every reaction, or soften your truth with a long-winded disclaimer? That’s not overthinking. That’s overexplaining—and it’s a trauma response. In this episode, we’re talking about the exhausting cycle of overexplaining yourself, especially if you grew up with a narcissistic or otherwise toxic parent. I’ll walk you through why it started, why it still feels so necessa...
Is your toxic parent’s “I’m sorry” leaving you more confused than comforted? In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, we unpack why apologies from narcissistic or otherwise toxic parents rarely feel like closure—and often reopen old wounds. You’ll learn: The signs of a real apology (and what performative regret looks like)How to stop spiraling when they say “sorry” but nothing changesA mindset shift that will help you decide whether or not to forgiveIf you’ve ever thought “maybe I’m being too har...
In this episode, I talk about the complicated grief that surfaces once we begin setting boundaries and creating distance from toxic, narcissistic, or emotionally immature parents. I share what it looked like in my own life— the emotional toll of being a parentified child, and why our healing journey often involves mourning the milestones we missed while we were just trying to survive. This conversation is especially for those who feel behind in life, who struggle with guilt for being sad abou...
Big news! The Confident Boundaries App is officially live—now available for free on iPhone and Android. Inside, you’ll get instant access to a curated starter bundle of some of my favorite episodes and articles to support your healing from family dysfunction. In today’s episode, we’re digging into a question I hear often from adult children of narcissistic parents or those with unmanaged BPD: “Why do I keep ending up in toxic relationships?” When you grow up with emotionally immature or...
If you’re breaking toxic cycles in a family marked by emotional immaturity, narcissism, or borderline traits, there’s something we don’t talk about enough: the profound loneliness that can come with healing. You’re not just setting boundaries—you’re stepping out of the role your family expected you to play. Maybe you were the peacekeeper, the fixer, the golden child, or the scapegoat. But once you stop playing by the unspoken rules, the system fights to pull you back in. What hurts the ...
You're Not Crazy: A Podcast for Cycle Breakers with Toxic Parents
Psychotherapist and Coach, Torie Wiksell, is no stranger to talking about challenging and dysfunctional family dynamics. In addition to specializing in working with the adult children of parents with borderline and narcissistic personality disorders as both a therapist and coach, Torie grew up with a mother who had an unmanaged personality disorder.Torie has spent a significant portion of her 12 year career as a therapist working with clients with personality disorders, their partners, and family members, and brings a unique and relatable perspective to navigating these complicated relationships.Follow TorieOn TikTok: tiktok.com/@theboundariescoachOn Instagram: instagram.com/torieatconfidentboundariesLearn more about Coaching and the Confident Boundaries Membership: www.confidentboundaries.comDisclaimer: This podcast is not therapy. If you are in mental health crisis, please contact the Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988. You're Not Crazy is a podcast owned and produced by Torie Wiksell and Confident Boundaries, LLC.
