If you’ve ever felt like you become a slightly different version of yourself depending on who you are with (or maybe stop being yourself all together), this may land close to home. The chameleon family role describes someone who learned early to shift their personality, opinions, and even emotions to match what the people around […]
The Parentified Child: When You Had to Grow Up Too Soon
Written by Gwen Soat, LCMHCA When the Child Becomes Parentified You were the one people called mature for your age. You were the one who noticed the shift in the room before anyone said a word. You were the one who made sure everyone else was okay, long before anyone thought to ask if you […]
The Clown Family Role: When You’re Always the Funny One
What is the Clown Family Role? If you have always been the funny one, the clown family role may feel familiar. Also known as the family mascot, this is one of several dysfunctional family roles a child can take on to survive a high-stress, unpredictable, or emotionally unsafe home. Below we look at how this […]
The Lost Child Family Role: Were You the One Nobody Noticed?
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 […]
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