When children grow up in families affected by substance or process dependencies, they don't simply adapt, they transform into survival specialists. Each child unconsciously adopts one of four distinct roles: the Mascot/Placater, the Hero, the Lost Child, or the Scapegoat. These aren't temporary coping strategies, they become deeply embedded patterns that clients carry into your therapy room decades later.

This blog provides therapists with the essential framework to recognise, understand, and therapeutically address these survival roles. You'll discover how childhood dependency trauma manifests in adult relationships, career choices, and emotional regulation, giving you the insight needed to help clients move from rigid survival patterns to authentic, flexible living.