Cycle-Breaking Isn’t Just a Buzzword: What It Looks Like in Real Life
We hear it all the time now—“I’m breaking cycles,” “I’m healing generational trauma,” “I’m setting boundaries my parents never taught me how to hold.”
But what does cycle-breaking actually look like in real life?
Hint: It’s not always a dramatic transformation. Sometimes, it’s subtle. Sometimes, it’s messy. But always—it’s sacred.
As a child and family therapist, I witness the courage of cycle-breakers every week. They’re not perfect. They’re present. They’re not fearless. They’re willing.
Real-Life Stories from the Therapy Room
A Couple in Their Late 30s
After years of conflict avoidance, this couple came to couples therapy to learn how to fight fair, feel heard, and rebuild emotional intimacy. They didn’t come in with a script. They came in with honesty.
“We’re still learning,” they shared. “But Angelique helped us lead with compassion—and a little humor.”
Through empathy-based accountability and emotion-focused tools, they’re now navigating parenting and partnership with less blame and more connection.
A Working Mom in Her 30s
She came to therapy feeling like she was holding her whole family together with emotional duct tape. Between kids, career, and caregiving, she felt depleted.
“I needed tools—not platitudes,” she told me. Together, we explored how emotional labor, burnout, and old survival patterns were stealing her sense of joy. Now? She has permission to pause. To say no. To feel things fully—and not apologize for needing support.
A Grieving Client Rebuilding in Her 30s
In our work around grief and loss, she uncovered childhood wounds that had gone unspoken for decades.
“I finally feel like someone sees the 10-year-old version of me,” she said. Her healing didn’t come from rushing forward—but from turning inward with compassion. Through inner child work, she learned how to mother herself while parenting her own children with more patience and grace.
A Woman in Her 50s
After a difficult life transition, she said something simple but profound: “I know there will be ups and downs—but now I know I can get through it.” That’s the real work of therapy—not avoiding pain, but learning how to walk through it with tools, self-trust, and support.
What Does Cycle-Breaking Actually Look Like?
It can be as small as:
Taking a breath before yelling
Saying, “That wasn’t okay” instead of “I’m fine”
Walking away from guilt that isn’t yours
Giving your child the words you never had
Choosing rest before resentment
Want to Start Your Own Healing Journey?
Explore these tools to begin (or continue) your cycle-breaking journey:
Learn about my Therapy Packages designed for individuals, parents, and couples
Book a session with me
