Surviving Holiday Family Drama with Kiki Mullican

In this episode of the Holiday Survival Podcast, Erin is joined by Kiki Mullican—also known as the Trauma Drama Mama—for an honest conversation about surviving the holidays when you come from a toxic or dysfunctional family. Together, they unpack how narcissistic abuse, family trauma, and emotional manipulation often resurface during holiday gatherings, leaving many people feeling triggered, guilty, or cast as the “problem.”Kiki shares practical tools for setting emotional boundaries, recognizing red flags like gaslighting and coercive control, and protecting your peace without over-explaining or self-abandoning. The episode also explores reparenting yourself, releasing guilt, and rebuilding identity after years of survival mode.In this episode, we cover:How toxic family dynamics and narcissistic abuse show up during the holidaysEmotional boundaries that protect your peace at family gatheringsWhy guilt is often conditioning—not a sign you’re doing something wrongRed flags to watch for in family, work, and personal relationshipsReparenting yourself and rebuilding joy after traumaIf the holidays bring up family drama, emotional exhaustion, or old wounds, this episode offers validation, clarity, and grounded strategies to help you navigate the season with more confidence and self-trust.✨ If this episode resonates with you, follow The Holiday Survival Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating or review — it helps more people find hope, healing, and a little peace this season. Visit www.holidaysurvivalpodcast.com to listen to past episodes and explore our interactive Holiday Survival Podcast Gift Guide, featuring meaningful, heart-centered finds from small businesses and creators we love.Connect with Kiki on social media @the.trauma.drama.mama.CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Content Warning00:48 Welcome to the Holiday Survival Podcast01:46 Meet Kiki Mullican03:58 Recognizing and Navigating Family Dysfunction07:37 Setting Emotional Boundaries During the Holidays11:49 Understanding Narcissism and Protecting Yourself18:33 Reparenting Yourself: A Path to Healing25:59 Building a Joyful Future After Trauma29:21 Final Thoughts and FarewellCREDITSHosted and Produced by Erin BillingsPost Production by Isaac MorenoMusic by Erin BillingsArtwork by Diana Pietzryk