Have you ever wondered if your struggles with food have less to do with willpower and more to do with the very first relationship you ever had the one with your mother?
In this episode of the Hypnosis for Permanent Weight Loss podcast, Leslie Thornton dives deep into the concept of the mother wound what it is, how it silently shapes your eating patterns, and why healing it might be the missing piece to finally feeling free around food.
You’ll learn how unresolved dynamics with your mom can create perfectionism, shame, rebellion, or emotional hunger and why dieting never fixes the root cause. Instead, true freedom comes from healing within.
“You can’t fix an internal problem with an external solution. Healing starts within.” — Leslie Thornton
[0:00] Why your struggle with food may trace back to your very first relationship
[0:39] What the “mother wound” is and how it shapes eating patterns
[2:41] Reflection: What was really going on emotionally the last time you overate or binged?
[4:13] Defining the mother wound (and why it’s not about blaming your mom)
[4:57] Common examples: critical moms, emotional unavailability, or projecting body image struggles
[6:15] Leslie’s personal story of her mom’s influence and the belief she internalized
[9:10] Why dieting became a false sense of safety and worthiness
[10:17] Reflection: When did you feel you had to “earn” love or approval in childhood?
[11:00] Four common patterns: perfectionism, shame-driven overeating, rebellion, emotional hunger
[13:26] The good news — healing the mother wound is possible and life-changing
[14:04] A powerful reflection: How would your food relationship change if you felt truly safe and accepted?
[16:01] Why healing doesn’t have to be hard — and how it unlocks joy in every area of life
[17:27] Next step: Book a call to uncover the deeper patterns driving your eating
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