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Were you the only child who was “so mature for your age”—but never really got to be a kid? In this episode, we dive into what it’s really like growing up without siblings and how that shapes your identity, relationships, and emotional habits as an adult.

Drawing from birth order psychology and Family Systems Theory, we explore how only children miss the sibling subsystem—your first environment for social learning—and what happens when you become the emotional container for your entire family. From hyper-independence to emotional overload, this one’s for every adult who grew up as a one-person support team.

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Are you the youngest child who’s always been seen as “the fun one”—but never quite taken seriously? In this episode of Not Your Therapist, we’re breaking down the psychology of the youngest child: how being the “baby” of the family shapes your personality, relationships, and sense of identity.

We explore how youngest kids often become the entertainer or escape artist, the impact of being underestimated, and how this birth order role can lead to charm, deflection, and hidden pressure to prove yourself in adulthood. It’s not all fun and games when you’re secretly tired of being seen as “the irresponsible one.”

Whether you’re the family wildcard or the secretly exhausted youngest, this episode will help you unpack what you inherited—and how to outgrow it.

👉 Ask me a question or suggest a topic hello@kaylareilly.com

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Were you the middle child—the one who stayed out of the way, kept the peace, and quietly handled your own emotional needs? You’re not alone. In this episode of Not Your Therapist, we dive deep into the psychology of middle child syndrome, emotional distancing, and why so many middle children become chronic people-pleasers or “distancers” in adulthood.

We’ll talk about how middle children are shaped by their role in the family, what happens when your needs are ignored, and how that invisibility can turn into emotional walls later in life. Plus: the difference between being the middle of three vs. the second of two, and why that matters more than you might think.

Whether you’re a recovering mediator or the “easy” one who no one checked on, this episode is your permission slip to stop shrinking and start taking up space.

👉 Ask me a question or suggest a topic hello@kaylareilly.com