Unstuck

In this episode of The Shadows We Cast, I sit down with Christina Orfanakos, MSW, RSW—Registered Social Worker and founder of Grace North Therapy—for a conversation about attachment, survival patterns, and what it really means to begin feeling safe again.Some patterns don’t start with us.They start in the environments we learned to survive in.We talk about the ways early experiences—especially those shaped by silence, unpredictability, or emotional disconnection—can shape how we move through the world as adults.How hyper-independence, people-pleasing, over-functioning, and even success can all be rooted in adaptations we learned long before we had language for them.And how those same patterns that once protected us…can quietly keep us stuck.Christina brings both professional insight and deep compassion to this conversation, grounded in her work with women and mothers navigating overwhelm, burnout, and disconnection. Her approach is rooted in attachment theory and the belief that meaningful change happens when we feel seen, understood, and supported.We also explore:how attachment patterns are formed—and how they show up in adulthoodthe difference between empathy and caretakingwhy awareness is the first step, but not the only onehow to begin reconnecting with your body and nervous systemand what it looks like to gently shift patterns that no longer serve youThis is a conversation about understanding—not fixing.About compassion—for the parts of you that learned to survive.And about the possibility of something different.About Christina:Christina Orfanakos is a Registered Social Worker and the founder of Grace North Therapy. She works with women and mothers navigating overwhelm, burnout, and disconnection, with a focus on attachment, emotional regulation, and reconnecting to self.Connect with Christina:Instagram: @gracenorththerapyWebsite: gracenorththerapy.comLinkedIn: Christina Orfanakos, MSW, RSWHost/Producer/Writer/Director: Jenn St JohnEditor: Andrew SchillerWebsite: www.jennstjohn.caFollow along:Instagram: @jenn_stjohnLinkedIn: Jenn St JohnIf this episode spoke to you, share it with someone who might need to hear it too.Subscribe, leave a review, or just send a little love—your support helps these conversations reach the people who need them most.