Healing the Father Wound: The Scars You Don’t Talk About

In this powerful episode, we explore the father wound — what it is, how it forms, and how it continues to shape our relationships, sense of self-worth, and emotional health. 

Drawing from personal experience and evidence-based practices, I walk you through key insights and healing strategies, including reparenting, grief work, and authentic forgiveness. 

Whether your father was absent, abusive, or emotionally unavailable, this episode offers validation, healing, and a roadmap forward.

What You'll Learn:

• What the “father wound” is and how it shows up in adulthood

• The emotional and behavioral patterns linked to unhealed father wounds

• Why high achievers often carry hidden wounds from their fathers

• How to begin healing through reparenting, IFS, and grief work

• The difference between forced forgiveness and authentic release

• Why you’re not responsible for repairing an abusive or absent parent relationship

Mentioned in This Episode:

• The new Overcoming Shame group coaching program: LEARN MORE

• 1:1 Coaching Free strategy call: jerryhenderson.org

• “Self-Love: The Root from Which Personal Mastery Grows” (transition episode) LISTEN HERE

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome and Introduction
01:52 – What Is the Father Wound?
03:43 – How the Father Wound Develops
05:00 – Jerry’s Personal Story
09:10 – Introduction to Overcoming Shame Group Coaching Program
12:20 – The Church, Forgiveness, and Misguided Healing
15:59 – It's Not Your Fault
25:38 – Mental Health Patterns Linked to the Father Wound
27:43 – Differences in Men and Women’s Responses
30:04 – How the Father Wound Shows Up in Adult Life
30:59 – Evidence-Based Healing Tools
32:03 – The Power of Reparenting
33:05 – Grief Work and Forgiveness on Your Terms

Resources:

• Access the course "Learning How to Love Yourself" here: Access Course

• Book a free strategy call with me: Schedule Call

• Follow me on IG: @jerryahenderson

Next Steps:

• If this episode resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

• Subscribe and leave a review — it helps more people discover the podcast.

• Ready to go deeper? Download the workbook or book a strategy call today.

Connect & Subscribe:

The podcast is transitioning to Personal Mastery with Jerry Henderson on May 5th. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode.

I am grateful you are here,
Jerry

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