4 Signs of Emotionally Immature Parents & How to Heal

The Mel Robbins Podcast

SiriusXM Podcasts

Education, Mental Health, Relationships, Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Health & Fitness

4.8 • 10.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2025

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's episode, you'll learn how to heal from an emotionally immature parent. If you've ever felt invisible in your own family, like your needs didn't matter, or if nothing you did was ever enough, this episode is for you. Dr. Lindsay C. Gibson is here to assure you that you're not imagining it. You're not too sensitive. You're not overreacting. And you're not alone. If you find yourself struggling to set boundaries, you’re still craving your parent’s approval, or you’re always walking on eggshells to keep the peace, Dr. Gibson says the reason you feel this way is because you grew up with an emotionally immature parent. And today you’ll finally understand what that means. You're about to learn the 4 subtle signs you had an emotionally immature parent and how that shapes your adult life – and the exact path to healing. Today’s episode is not about blame. It’s about clarity and finally having the language to describe what you’ve felt for years but couldn’t quite explain. You’ll learn how to name the behaviors that left you feeling dismissed or unseen, and you'll have the tools to begin healing. And that’s a big deal, because doing this work doesn’t just change how you feel; it changes how you live. For the last 30 years, Dr. Gibson has helped millions of people around the world break free from the invisible emotional suffering that has held them back since childhood. She is a pioneering expert on the topic of emotionally immature parents, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller "Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents." If you've spent your entire life feeling like something was off in your relationship with your parents, but you could never quite put your finger on it, Dr. Gibson is here to say: You were right. And if you feel guilty for just considering that something might have been off, you need to hear this conversation today. This is an episode you don't want to miss. For more resources, click here for the podcast episode page. If you liked this episode, you’ll love listening to this one next: Why You Feel Lost in Life: Dr. Gabor Maté on Trauma & How to Heal Connect with Mel: Get Mel’s #1 bestselling book, The Let Them Theory Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Mel on Instagram The Mel Robbins Podcast Instagram Mel's TikTok Sign up for Mel’s personal letter Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes ad-free Disclaimer

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast.
0:08.7	If you've spent your entire life feeling like something was off in your relationship with your parents,
0:14.7	but you could never quite put your finger on it. You need to hear me. You were right. And if you even feel guilty for just
0:23.8	considering that something might have been off in your relationship with your folks, I need you to hear
0:27.5	this. You're still right. See, you're not crazy. You're not too sensitive. You're not overreacting.
0:33.8	If you felt invisible when you were growing up, or if your needs were often ignored, or if no matter what you did, it was never enough, if you're invisible when you were growing up or if your needs were often ignored or if no matter
0:38.2	what you did it was never enough if you're constantly walking on eggshells you didn't imagine that
0:43.7	and you want to know the crazy part i bet even after all of that you still find yourself struggling
0:49.6	to set boundaries or you still find yourself craving their approval and bending over backwards or feeling
0:55.0	guilty whenever you disappoint them. And there's a reason why you feel the way you do. Our expert
1:01.2	today says, the reason you feel this way is because you grew up with an emotionally immature parent.
1:06.8	And today, you're finally going to understand what that means.
1:14.7	91% of you said, yes, I can relate to that. So in order to teach us about this very common experience of being raised by an emotionally
1:19.6	immature parent and the exhausting cycle that you can find yourself in, I called in the
1:24.8	world's leading expert on the topic, and she is here to free you from the guilt,
1:28.8	the confusion, and the impossible expectations that you're never going to meet.
1:33.3	And I have no doubt that you're going to be nodding along the entire time going,
1:38.1	did this psychologist grow up in my house?
1:40.4	Because this is exactly what it was like to be me.
1:44.1	But more importantly, after our conversation
1:46.6	today, you're going to know exactly what to do about it.
1:59.3	Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins podcast. I am so excited that you are here.
	...

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