Have you felt “responsible” for as long as you can remember, as if relaxing isn’t an option because someone, somewhere, might need you? Maybe you were the fixer, the peacemaker, the dependable one. The kid who kept the house running, soothed a parent’s stress, or looked after siblings while still learning how to be a child. If that hits home, you may have experienced parentification. Sometimes described as being a parentified child. And if you’re reading this with a familiar ache in your chest, please know: you’re not alone. As a therapist who focuses on nervous system recovery and trauma-informed, holistic healing,...