Discover the Elements of Healing from Family Trauma
Think of these blogs as a colourful buffet of ideas and stories. Just scroll through and pick whatever grabs your attention or speaks to you. Each one is a little treasure trove of insights on dependency and family life. Happy exploring!
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Exploring Your Clients’ Childhood Survival Strategies
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.
The Mascot/Placater - Unmasking a Survival Strategy
Do you recognise the client who always seems "on" and uses humour to deflect deeper emotions? Meet the Family Mascot, a role that develops in families affected by substance or process dependencies. This insightful guide helps therapists understand the complex patterns behind the cheerful exterior, offering practical approaches for supporting clients who learned early that being entertaining meant being safe. Discover how to work compassionately with these adaptive patterns and transform your therapeutic practice
The Overlooked One: Understanding the Lost Child Role
The lost child is a common role in families affected by addiction, where the child retreats into solitude to avoid conflict and protect themselves. Often invisible within the family system, they suppress their needs and emotions, believing this helps reduce the family’s burden. While this coping strategy offers safety, it can lead to deep loneliness and distorted self-worth. For therapists, recognising the lost child’s patterns is key to helping clients reconnect with their needs, build self-awareness, and move toward healing.