About Dr. Thema Bryant:
Dr. Thema Bryant is a psychologist, author, professor, sacred artist, and minister who is leading the way in creating healthy relationships, healing traumas, and overcoming stress and oppression. Dr. Thema is the author of recently released book Matters of the Heart (February 4, 2025; Penguin Random House), which aims to empower readers to connect with themselves and to others, delving into topics such as: control issues, emotional unavailability, practical activation activities, case studies, and teaching how to shift mindset and patterns around romance.
Dr. Thema Bryant completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Duke University and her post-doctoral training at Harvard Medical Center’s Victims of Violence Program. Upon graduating, she became the Coordinator of the Princeton University SHARE Program, which provides intervention and prevention programming to combat sexual assault, sexual harassment, and harassment based on sexual orientation.
She is currently a tenured professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. Dr. Thema is an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and leads the mental health ministry at First A.M.E. Church in Los Angeles. Most recently, she was the 2023 president of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is the host of The Homecoming Podcast.
To learn more about Dr. Thema, please go to her website: https://drthema.com/
How to Heal a Family Relationship Without Losing Yourself
Family relationships can be the most beautiful — and some of the most complicated — connections we’ll ever have.
But when those relationships are strained or broken, it can leave a deep ache in our hearts.
In this week’s episode of Life is Now…Do It While You Can Show, Suzanne Oshima, Life Coach for Women Over 50, sits down with Dr. Thema Bryant — Professor of Psychology, and Author of Matters of the Heart: Healing Your Relationships with Yourself and Those You Love— to talk about the importance of healing a family relationship without losing yourself in the process.
From fractured relationships with siblings to painful distance from adult children or aging parents, Dr. Thema shares powerful insights on why healing begins with tending to your own heart first.
She reminds us that tomorrow isn’t promised, and waiting too long to heal a broken family relationship can lead to regrets that weigh heavy.
This conversation is both a gentle nudge and a strong reminder: you don’t have to abandon yourself to heal a family relationship.
Boundaries, self-worth, and patience are key. And sometimes, even a long-overdue apology or heartfelt acknowledgment can open the door to a long awaited reconciliation that you’ve been waiting for.
Key Takeaways
- Healing starts with you. Before trying to repair a family bond, tend to your own heart so you don’t lose yourself in the process.
- Boundaries are essential. Healthy family relationships require clear healthy boundaries — and the courage to follow through on them.
- Forgiveness is a process. It doesn’t mean forgetting, but allowing space for repair, patience, and rebuilding trust.
- Take action before it’s too late. Tomorrow isn’t promised. If you’ve been holding back an apology or a conversation, make the call before it’s too late.
