Life Cycles in the Toxic Family
A gentle and honest look at the realities of caring for—or losing—an abusive parent, with tools for staying emotionally grounded.
Life Cycles in the Toxic Family
A gentle and honest look at the realities of caring for—or losing—an abusive parent, with tools for staying emotionally grounded.
- One 2-hour recorded session with two presentations
- Two downloadable fillable worksheets
- Two companion slide decks
In this course, you will learn
The existential crisis of losing an abusive parent — Understand why the death of an abusive parent creates a unique form of grief rooted in lack of closure, unfinished business, and the loss of a parent you never truly had
How to reclaim your parent's legacy on your own terms — Learn to separate the fabricated family narrative from the truth of your experience, and choose which legacy you carry forward
RRP-based interventions for processing grief and unfinished business — Explore experiential tools like goodbye letters, symbolic ceremonies, and truth-telling exercises designed to help you say what was never safe to say
How to navigate eldercare for an abusive parent with boundaries and self-protection — Build a practical plan for managing family conversations, care logistics, and emotional triggers without abandoning yourself in the process
Overview
Life Cycles in the Toxic Family addresses two of the most complex and least discussed stages of trauma recovery: losing an abusive parent and navigating eldercare when abuse is part of the history. Through two in-depth presentations, this course explores the existential crisis that arises when a parent who caused harm ages, becomes ill, or passes away — and the confusion, guilt, and pressure that often follow. Patrick Teahan examines the unique grief of losing someone who was never truly safe, including how to process unfinished business, reclaim your parent's legacy on your own terms, and access RRP-based therapeutic interventions like goodbye letters, symbolic ceremonies, and truth-telling exercises.
In the second half, Nate Postlethwait offers a practical, regulation-focused framework for navigating eldercare decisions when the parent needing care is the one who caused the wounds. You'll learn how to approach family conversations with clarity, set boundaries around your role, and build an ongoing personal care plan that keeps your emotional health at the center. Both presentations are grounded in the understanding that these life stages are not about obligation or forgiveness — they're about protecting yourself while honoring the full truth of your experience.
What's included?
One 2-hour recorded session featuring two expert presentations
Two downloadable fillable worksheets for guided reflection
Two companion slide decks covering both topics in detail
Why This Matters
Who It’s For
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