Family of Origin Issues/Dysfunctions
Once upon a time you were a child, a fact that has an important bearing on your life today. There are few things in our lives our family of origin (FOO) doesn’t impact, for the simple reason that they are our first relationships and first experiences of the world.
The family you grew up in and those who parented you are your family of origin. And how your parents (caretakers) raised you is influenced by how they were raised.
Family of origin work focuses on identifying and resolving the inherited family patterns that keep us in our cycle of suffering. The impacts can range from attachment & self worth, family roles, conflict & communication, generational legacies & intergenerational trauma, gender, power, money, sex, & relationships.
By understanding your relational history, you are better able to remove the obstacles that block you, heal these wounds, and shift your narrative to get unstuck.
Here are a few signs you might benefit from this kind of therapy work:
- You carry an underlying sense of not being good enough or feeling unlovable.
- You struggle with emotional dysregulation (easily angered, sad or afraid).
- You repeat unhealthy relationship patterns.
- You identify as perfectionistic.
- You struggle with addiction.
- You have trust issues that show up in your relationships.