What does it mean to be The Black Sheep of the Family? Many people who self-identify as the black sheep of their family feel misunderstood and ostracized. They report many negative comments and judgments from their family members. Many black sheep are self-healers, empathetic, and compassionate to others, given they know what it feels like not to be heard and understood. Kathi Hennessey, LICSW, studies the characteristics of adults who self-identify as black sheep or marginalized members of their families. Kathi will use information from her study to write a book about how the black sheep or marginalized members of their families are created and maintained. The research will also examine how these adults have adapted and embraced their uniqueness. In this episode of The Honestly Unfiltered Podcast, Jeni and Ellie sat with Kathi to discuss her research study. They also discussed family dynamics and whether or not we should feel obligated to be a part of our family members every day lives. Why are we forced to spend the holidays with our family when their treatment is terrible? And what happens when we push back, set boundaries, and do not allow toxic behavior? Find out this and much more in this episode. ________ https://www.instagram.com/being_the_black_sheep/ (Kathi Hennessey, LICSW Instagram) https://www.facebook.com/KathiHennesseyLICSW (Kathi Hennessey, LICSW Facebook) email Kathi Hennessey, LICSW ________ Relevant Links: https://www.beingtheblacksheep.com/ (Being The Black Sheep) https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/making-the-whole-beautiful/202201/the-power-being-the-black-sheep-the-family (The Power of Being The Black Sheep) https://lonerwolf.com/black-sheep-of-the-family/ (Lone Wolf or Black Sheep?) _________ We have Podcast Merch! https://www.customizedgirl.com/s/honestlyunfiltered (Check Out Our Designs Here!) Use coupon code HU2022 for 15% off. Please subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and as always, send in your questions or comments to Jeni@honestlyunfilteredpodcasts.com Connect with us on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/HonestlyUnfilteredPodcast ( Facebook.com/HonestlyUnfilteredPodcast) https://www.instagram.com/thehonestlyunfilteredpodcast/ (Instagram.com/TheHonestlyUnfilteredPodcast) https://twitter.com/IamJeniThomas (Twitter.com/iAmJeniThomas) Check out our website and blog at www.honestlyunfilteredpodcasts.com Do you like what you hear? https://www.buymeacoffee.com/keriandjeni! (Buy Us a Coffee!) This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacy Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy