71 - Recovering from Toxic Empathy

The Patrauma Party

We think of empathy as always being a good thing, but like everything else, too much of a good thing can be toxic. I call "toxic empathy" (not a clinical term, BTW, just my term), the phenomenon that occurs when we empathize with others to the point that we can't feel our *own* feelings. We can't feel anger when people hurt us, or we order a cocktail we don't want because our friend doesn't want to drink alone, etc. etc. It robs us of our boundaries and our autonomy, often leading to self-abandonment. In this episode, I welcome marriage and family associate therapist Renee Tate back to the pod to talk about how it works and how we heal.

The contents of this podcast are provided for informational purposes only. None of the material presented is intended to be a substitute for psychotherapy, counseling, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you need to speak with a professional, you can find one local to you and reach out directly, or, in the US, you can call 988 to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Hotline.