Dr. Lindsay Gibson joins the podcast to share her groundbreaking work on emotional maturity. Dr. Gibson and I explore how growing up with emotionally immature caregivers can affect our adult relationships, and what we can do to recover from these experiences, build healthier patterns, and disentangle from emotionally immature people. We start by discussing what emotional immaturity means, some of its key characteristics, and the consequences of growing up with emotionally immature parents. We then talk about how we can move away from “role-self” and develop a deeper connection with who we really are. You’ll learn practical tools for recognizing emotionally immature people, managing your relationships with them effectively, and establishing healthy boundaries.

About our Guest: Dr. Lindsay Gibson is a clinical psychologist and the author of a number of books including Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents and Disentangling from Emotionally Immature People. Her most recent work is the Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Guided Journal.

Key Topics:
0:00 Introduction
1:10 What is emotional immaturity?
7:30 Affective realism and involuntary coping mechanisms
14:25 An example of a childhood with emotionally immature caregivers
19:25 The “role-self,” and how children respond to a parent’s lack of empathy
26:10 Receiving guidance and stability from the authentic self
30:25 How the role-self affects relationships in adulthood
41:50 Connecting with the authentic self, and having healthier relationships
51:00 Letting go of healing fantasies in adult relationships
57:05 Guilt, emotional coercion, fear of loneliness, and finding optimal distance
1:04:05 How to identify with yourself as a secure base
1:07:35 Recap

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Who Am I: I'm Forrest, the co-author of Resilient (https://amzn.to/3iXLerD) and host of the Being Well Podcast (https://apple.co/38ufGG0). I'm making videos focused on simplifying psychology, mental health, and personal growth.

I'm not a clinician, and what I say on this channel should not be taken as medical advice.

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