Sibling Relationships in Adulthood: Closeness, Conflict, and Boundaries episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 29, 2026 · 41 MIN

Sibling Relationships in Adulthood: Closeness, Conflict, and Boundaries

from ShrinkChicks

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about adult sibling relationships and why growing up in the same family doesn't always mean growing up with the same experience. They explore how family roles, parentification, favoritism, and changing family dynamics can shape sibling relationships long after childhood.They answer listener questions about feeling responsible for younger siblings, navigating resentment toward a "golden child" sibling, and having difficult conversations without blame. They also discuss what happens when your emotional growth outpaces your family, how to avoid getting pulled into triangulation, and why siblings often experience the same parents in completely different ways.The conversation also covers the eldest daughter dynamic, repairing relationships after years of distance, and how to let go of roles that may have helped you survive childhood but no longer serve you as an adult.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 10:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Link to Siblings Without Rivalry book mentioned⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!=Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next orderSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about adult sibling relationships and why growing up in the same family doesn't always mean growing up with the same experience. They explore how family roles, parentification, favoritism, and changing family dynamics can shape sibling relationships long after childhood.They answer listener questions about feeling responsible for younger siblings, navigating resentment toward a "golden child" sibling, and having difficult conversations without blame. They also discuss what happens when your emotional growth outpaces your family, how to avoid getting pulled into triangulation, and why siblings often experience the same parents in completely different ways.The conversation also covers the eldest daughter dynamic, repairing relationships after years of distance, and how to let go of roles that may have helped you survive childhood but no longer serve you as an adult.Tune in to gain insight, awareness, and action! PS: Fast forward to around 10:30 to skip the intro and get straight to today’s content.Link to Siblings Without Rivalry book mentioned⁠Get Matched With One of Our Therapists⁠ at The Therapy Group!⁠ShrinkChicks on Instagram⁠Our ⁠Know Yourself Grow Yourself Journal⁠!!=Check out ShrinkChicks on YouTube by subscribing here! ⁠https://youtube.com/channel/UCrxuhDqoL4ML3UE8b2J2BBg⁠A special thank you to this week's sponsors for supporting ShrinkChicks! We have these exclusive offers for our listeners:Boll & Branch: Upgrade your sleep with Boll & Branch. Get 15% off your first order plus free shipping at BollAndBranch.com/shrinkchicks with code shrinkchicksSkims: Shop Everyday Cotton, and all of our favorite bras and underwear athttp://www.skims.com/shrinkchicks. After you place your order, be sure to let them know we sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select our show in the dropdown menu that followsShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at Shopify.com/shrinkchicksPerelel: New customers can use code SHRINKCHICKS to get 20% off their first order at perelelhealth.com/shrinkchicksZenni: Go to Zenni.com/podcast and use code PODCAST15 for 15% off your first orderGreenChef: Head to Greenchef.com/50shrinkchicks and use code 50shrinkchicks to get 50% off your first month, then 20% off for two months with free shippingQuince: Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/shrinkchicks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping and 365-day returns on your next order See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

NOW PLAYING

Sibling Relationships in Adulthood: Closeness, Conflict, and Boundaries

0:00 41:01

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of ShrinkChicks?

This episode is 41 minutes long.

When was this ShrinkChicks episode published?

This episode was published on June 29, 2026.

What is this episode about?

This week on ShrinkChicks, Em and Jen talk about adult sibling relationships and why growing up in the same family doesn't always mean growing up with the same experience. They explore how family roles, parentification, favoritism, and changing...

Can I download this ShrinkChicks episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!