Dr. Teena Joseph: How family dynamics impact your relationships

Have you ever wondered how your family dynamics shape your romantic relationships? Have you felt drawn to partners who mirror past experiences, even painful ones? If so, you’re not alone.

In this episode, Ankit chats with Dr Teena Joseph, a seasoned therapist with nearly two decades of experience helping young adults, couples, and families overcome life challenges. They uncover the invisible threads that connect our childhood experiences to our present relationships. They talk about how to recognize dysfunction, and how to break free from it.

If you want to understand your relationship patterns, heal old wounds, and create better connections, this episode is for you.

We discuss

• The definition of a dysfunctional family and its dynamics
• How dysfunction impacts romantic relationships
• Why there is a strong pull towards familiarity even when we know it’s not serving us
• How to change unhealthy coping mechanisms learnt over years
• The role of romantic partners in healing
• Knowing when to stay or leave a difficult relationship
• The supportive community Teena has built for people from dysfunctional families.

Teena’s bio

Dr. Teena Augustine Joseph has nearly two decades of experience guiding young adults, adolescents, the elderly, couples, and dysfunctional families toward healing and connection.

She is the founder of Being Balanced Consultancy and prior to this she spent 2+ years as the Head of Training and Development at The Vandrevala Foundation.

She has a Master’s in Social work – Medical & Psychiatry. Her doctoral research, from IIT Madras, on visual methods, play therapy, and Philosophy for Children (P4C) shapes her innovative practices, including philosophy camps for kids and art-based support groups. Dr Teena was also an Erasmus Mundus fellow at University of Padova, Italy.

As a certified supervisor, she mentors early-career therapists and offers specialized crisis intervention training, supporting individuals and organizations in challenging times.

Connect with Teena

LinkedIn | Being Balanced

QOTD

Have you grown up in a difficult family environment? Write in and tell us your story – podcast@myndstories.com

Resources

• Dealing with difficult families
• Signs of a dysfunctional family

Credits

• Ankit Narasimhan, host and episode planner.
• Ravi Kumar, sound designer and editor.

Find us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

*Disclaimer – The content in this podcast is only for educational purposes. It cannot be considered as individual therapy advice or counseling.