The Empath Wound: The Child Who Was Never Allowed to Be Selfish

What if the part of you that you've always called "empathetic" was also shaped by survival? In the first episode of **The Empath Wound**, Deborah gets raw and personal about the connection between childhood abandonment, people-pleasing, overgiving, and the constant need to be seen as "good." She reflects on how being the understanding one, the fixer, the forgiving one, and the person who could always read the room became more than personality—it became protection. This episode explores the child who learned to put everyone else's needs first—and the adult who eventually realizes that keeping everyone else happy can come at the cost of abandoning herself. From relationships and family to friendships, work, and authority figures, Deborah challenges the belief that being a good person means tolerating disrespect, explaining every boundary, giving unlimited chances, or sacrificing your peace to maintain a connection. Because healing sometimes means learning a new kind of selfishness: **choosing yourself without guilt.** This episode will leave you with one powerful question: **How many times have you abandoned yourself so somebody else wouldn't abandon you?** Welcome to **The Empath Wound**—an 8-part journey of uncovering what you thought was "just who you are" and asking: **Is this really who I am, or is this who I had to become to survive?** **-----------------------------------------------------------------** **BetterHelp Therapy:** If you're struggling, consider therapy with our sponsor. Visit https://betterhelp.com/thehealingversion for a discount on your first month of therapy.. If you have questions about the brand relating to how the therapists are credentialed, their privacy policy, or therapist compensation, here is an overview written by the YouTube creators behind the channel Cinema Therapy that goes into these topics: https://www.reddit.com/r/cinema\therapy/comments/1dpriql/addressing\the\betterh elp\concerns\headon\d \------------------------------------------------------------------- 💬 **Let's Stay Connected:** 👉🏾 Follow and explore our new website: **TheHealingVersion.com** — your new home for healing, updates, merch, + more! 💫 You can even **stream episodes right from the site**! 🎧✨ Your support helps us continue sharing meaningful conversations 🎙️, uplifting stories 📖, and promoting real healing in our community 🌿. 🎧 **Tune In Every Saturday & Sunday** 📻 *On the Radio:* WDJY 99.1 FM — Straight Talk Radio Atlanta 🕓 5 PM EST / 4 PM CST 🔗 *Stream Live:* WDJYFM.com 🌐 *Stream from our website:* TheHealingVersion.com And don't forget to subscribe on **YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio** 🔊 Thank you for being part of the Healing Tribe! 🙌🏽💛 #TheHealingVersion #SubscribeNow #HealingJourney #SupportBlackPodcasts #MentalHealthMatters #HealingTribe 🧘🏾‍♀️🫂💫