In this episode, Dr. Brittany McGeehan explores how well-intentioned, high-performing parents can unintentionally erode a child’s self-efficacy—and how learning to tolerate discomfort instead of fixing it builds resilient, capable kids.

High-performing women are incredible at anticipating needs, solving problems, and keeping everything running smoothly—but those same strengths can quietly work against our children.

In this episode, Dr. Brittany McGeehan unpacks the concept of self-efficacy—a child’s belief that they can handle challenges—and why overprotecting, over-managing, and over-functioning can slowly strip kids of that belief. Drawing from developmental psychology, nervous system science, and real-life parenting moments, Dr. Brittany walks through how discomfort is not the enemy, why suffering isn’t trauma, and how learning when not to intervene is one of the most powerful parenting skills there is.

This conversation is especially for parents who feel the urge to jump in, smooth things over, or fix the moment—because your child’s confidence isn’t built in comfort, it’s built in experience.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why constantly fixing discomfort teaches children to doubt their own capability
• How to tell the difference between a moment that requires intervention and one that builds confidence
• What high-performing parents can do instead of over-functioning to raise resilient, self-trusting kids

Dr. Brittany discusses why healing often reshapes your friendships—surfacing where you shrink, overgive, or feel unsupported—and how to build sturdier, more honest community without resentment.

Dr. Brittany discusses what happens when your private healing work starts changing your friendships. She breaks down why you may suddenly feel like you’re outgrowing certain circles, why you shrink around specific women, and why “having a lot of friends” can still feel lonely when you don’t have anyone you’d actually call in a hard moment. She also explains how childhood relational wiring shows up in adult friendship dynamics, why many high-achieving women become the “villager” without receiving real care back, and how to build community in a way that feels sturdy, mutual, and emotionally safe.

What you’ll learn:

• How childhood patterns quietly shape adult friendships
• The difference between having a network and having support
• A practical way to stop overgiving and start building real community

Dr. Brittany discusses how identity is formed, why high-performing women often outgrow the roles that made them successful, and what it actually takes to build a new identity that your nervous system can sustain—without waiting to feel ready.

Dr. Brittany discusses identity formation from a psychological and nervous system lens—specifically how identity is built through belonging, repeated relational responses, and nervous system “pairing” that teaches you who you have to be to stay safe. She breaks down why “this is just who I am” is often a learned survival pattern, not a personality trait, and she shares the three most common signs you’re living from an identity you’ve already outgrown: recreating stress even when life is stable, feeling disconnected despite external success, and struggling to rest or receive support without guilt. Dr. Brittany closes with a practical framework to map your origin identity and begin building a new one through micro-reps that create real evidence for your body.

What you’ll learn:

• Identity isn’t who you are—it’s who your nervous system learned it had to be to stay safe.
• If you keep recreating stress even when life is good, your identity hasn’t caught up to your reality.
• Identity change happens through evidence + repetition—small reps your body can actually tolerate.