Written by Gwen Soat, LCMHCA The Lost Child Family Role If you grew up feeling invisible in your own home, you may have taken on what’s known as the lost child family role. It’s one of the most overlooked patterns in dysfunctional family systems, precisely because the lost child causes no problems and asks for […]
The Switchboard: Dysfunctional Family Roles and the Child Who Held Everyone Together
Written by Gwen Soat, LCMHCA Dysfunctional Family Roles – Were you the Switchboard? Like we’ve been talking about, every family has its roles. Some are assigned. Some are inherited. And some are quietly learned because a child sensed that someone had to hold everything together. Among the most misunderstood dysfunctional family roles is one we’ll […]
Golden Child Syndrome – What it is and how to heal
Written by Gwen Soat, LCMHCA You Might Be Experiencing the Golden Child Syndrome If… You feel anxious when you’re not being productive You struggle to know what you actually want You seek acceptance, but praise often feels uncomfortable You fear disappointing people more than anything You put everyone else’s needs above your own You’ve been […]
How to Be Effective
Are You Trying to Be Right — or Actually Effective? The hidden habits that keep us stuck — and the mindful shift that moves us forward. We spend a lot of energy trying to win stuff like arguments and situations. We often have an inner monologue running constantly in our heads. But winning and being […]
What Spiritual Abuse Is (and What it Isn’t)
Spiritual Abuse Defined The phrase spiritual abuse is being used more often, which is helpful and also can be complicated. It’s helpful, because many people have been harmed in the name of God and finally have language for their experience. Putting language to trauma helps us reengage our prefrontal cortex (the front thinky thinky part […]