260 – Childhood Emotional Neglect with Dr. Jonice Webb

Do you find yourself feeling unfulfilled and empty, despite seemingly having everything you need to be happy? Do you crave closer relationships but feel like you can’t connect at the deep level you want?

These feelings can often be subtle signs of childhood emotional neglect, which is when our parents or caregivers didn’t tend to or validate our emotions as children. This sets us up for an adult life where we don’t know how to feel our own emotions — which is essential to experiencing joy, passion and connection! 

In this show, I’m chatting with Dr. Jonice Webb, a psychologist and author and a highly requested guest in The Adult Chair® community, about how to spot childhood emotional neglect and how to begin the process of accessing your emotions as an adult. This show is filled with incredible insights into an issue that unknowingly affects so many of us and how to heal from it.

Listen to discover:

• What childhood emotional neglect is
• Why invalidating our feelings leads to shame
• How childhood emotional neglect affects adult relationships
• What emotional intimacy is
• Rebuilding from childhood emotional neglect
• Steps to start your healing journey

Childhood emotional neglect isn’t necessarily abuse; in fact, it can happen in very loving, well meaning homes. But anything that disconnects us from our emotions — our inner navigation system and a key to living in The Adult Chair — is going to keep us from living the happy, fulfilled life we all dream of. I hope this episode encourages you to look inward and connect with the deepest parts of who you are. That is how you will experience the fullness of life and connection with others! 

“We need our feelings to survive and thrive in our adult life.” – Dr. Jonice Webb

“Eventually the child brain just erects a wall so that you don’t have to feel anything, and that wall stays there until you take it down.” – Dr. Jonice Webb

“Men have the equal capacity or ability to feel all emotions because they’re human.” – Michelle Chalfant

“What you have inside is a constellation of how your parents treated your feelings.” – Dr. Jonice Webb

“Emotions are the expression of your deepest self.” – Dr. Jonice Webb

“Emotions are our built-in navigation system, and they guide us.” – Michelle Chalfant