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Painful Relationships: When Should We Cut Contact?

32 min • 4 mars 2025

Deciding to go "no contact" can be one of the most painful and confusing decision we make, especially when it involves people in our family of origin. This can feel even more difficult for those taught "hyper-grace" at the expense of health and truth. In this episode, mental health professional, author, and speaker Gina Birkemeir shares insights on how we can heal from learned shame, differentiate between uncomfortable versus unsafe relationships, how to express boundaries clearly, and why these issues are so important to our well-being and our ability to live for Christ.

Resource referenced: Generations Deep: Unmasking Inherited Dysfunction and Trauma to Rewrite Our Stories Through Faith and Therapy

Discussion/reflective questions:

What resonated with you most in this episode?
How would you differentiate between an uncomfortable versus an unsafe relationship?
Why might it be beneficial, to your mental health and sense of identity, not to make decisions out of anger?
What are some steps you can take to work through your anger in regard to a relationship so that you can set boundaries from a place of calm wisdom?
Who in your life can act like an "emotional cushion" before and after difficult conversations with challenging people?
In what ways can shame be learned (or, in what ways has your upbringing created within you learned shame)?
What is one action step you can take having listened to this episode?

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