Kibbud Av V’em—Honoring Parents When It’s Complicated

The mitzvah of honoring one’s parents is timeless and profound—but what happens when your parents are not emotionally healthy, when they are deeply difficult people, or when the relationship feels unsafe?

In this powerful two-part series, family therapist Yehudis Karbal draws on over forty years of experience to speak with rare honesty and deep compassion about navigating the complexities of parent-child relationships in the face of dysfunction. With her trademark clarity, piercing insight, and signature whiteboard, Yehudis offers practical, emotionally intelligent tools to help you:

Face the grief of parents who could not be the safe place you needed.
Maintain your integrity when trust has been broken.
Mourn the parents you wish you had without being consumed by loss.
Set healthy boundaries without guilt.
Choose your actions with clarity and intention.

The series also tackles the most difficult questions: Is it ever right to cut ties with your parents? How do you navigate dysfunction without getting hurt? Can you honor your parents without abandoning yourself?

Along the way, Yehudis explores how to keep growing amidst the chaos—uncovering the “secrets of the soul,” shifting from victim to victor, and transforming inevitable struggles into stepping stones toward resilience and self-discovery.

Whether you’re looking for a path to healing or guidance in sustaining difficult relationships, these episodes offer a ton of practical tools to get you there!