The Psychology of Passing Things Down with Dr. Christina Brezing

Do you ever wonder why you handle money, conflict, or stress exactly like your parents, even when you swore you wouldn't? Dr. Christina Brezing is a psychiatrist and researcher at Columbia University who has spent her career studying what drives behavior and how patterns get passed on. In this episode, we explore the invisible forces shaping our families, from genetic predispositions (epigenetics) to the stories we tell and the secrets we keep.We dive into the critical difference between explicit communication (what we say we value) and implicit communication (what our children actually absorb). Dr. Brezing explains why admitting "I don't know" is often a stronger leadership move than faking certainty, and reframes conflict not as a failure, but as a necessary engine for true connection.You will leave this conversation with a liberating perspective on "repair", it’s not about erasing the damage, but patching the jeans so you can keep moving forward. Dr. Brezing reminds us that you can't change a pattern you don't acknowledge, but simply saying, "I don't like how we handle this," is the first step toward freedom.You can connect with Sarah on: her website: www.thorpe-scott.comLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sarahthorpescottInstagram: www.instagram.com/thorpe__scottby subscribing to Sarah's ⁠Field Notes newsletter⁠: https://sarahthorpescott.myflodesk.com/podcast-joinFind out about Sarah’s Nervous System Summit ⁠here⁠: www.thorpe-scott.com/nervoussystem.If you’d like to revisit this conversation, you can check out the transcript: https://thorpe-scott.com/christina-brezing-transcript Production support from ⁠Rethink Audio⁠ & Alice Giuditta.