Being Human with Steve Cuss EP 189: Dr Kathleen Smith
Oct 29, 2023
Dr Kathleen Smith, licensed therapist and Bowen theory expert and author, brings sharp wit and practical systems thinking. She explains differentiation of self, how social media and dating amplify anxiety, and using small control-focused steps to practice healthier relationships. She also shares playful ways to spot family triangles in TV and personal life.
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Internship Forced Kathleen Into Bowen Work
- Kathleen discovered Bowen as an anxious grad student required to do family work during internship training.
- The program demanded a year of personal/family work and she describes getting 'goggles' that made patterns click.
Society Mirrors Family Anxiety Patterns
- Societal emotional process mirrors family patterns when collective anxiety rises, producing avoidance, distance, and over-involvement.
- Kathleen notes current world events show those predictable fingerprints of human response at a societal level.
Shift Focus To What You Can Control
- Focus on what you can control by asking questions like What is my job here and Who am I trying to be in this relationship.
- Kathleen suggests small shifts in responsibility change the emotional tone and invite others' better responses.
