It is natural for family members to take on different roles within the family. These roles consist of:

The Family Hero

The Scapegoat

The Lost Child

The Mascot/Caretaker

The Victim

The Chief Enabler

It is important in therapy to recognize a family members’ role to help them understand how they relate to others. Different children have different needs. When it is recognized the struggles and burdens each child carries, a parent is better equipted to respond in ways that foster well-rounded and wholehearted adults. Changing how we view our kids can help them to reclaim parts of themselves that may need attention, while fostering a family who functions and relates to one another in healthier ways.

In my practice I have worked with families facing a variety of issues including, but not limited to, a loved one facing an addiction (chemical or behavioral), eating disorder, mood disorder, poor emotional regulation, or dysfunctional relational patterns.

The following techniques are used to assist families to heal:

Educating each family member about healthy family dynamics are and the roles that families play.

Help redirect focus from the member who has been identified as the identified patient onto the family as a whole.

Identify conflicts and anxieties and help each family member and the family as a whole develop tools and strategies to resolve them.

Strengthen all family members so they can work on their problems both individually and together.

Teach new and more effective ways to handle conflicts and changes within the family. Sometimes the way family members handle problems makes them more likely to develop symptoms.

Meeting weekly as a whole, we will outline roles of each family member, identify unhealthy dynamic patterns, and develop coping skills. Each member will be empowered to have and share their own feelings and take responsibility for their own behaviors.