Family of Origin Psychotherapy! Is it for you?
By: Eman Almusawi, LMFT, Therapist in Philadelphia, PA
You may be asking yourself, do you need family of origin psychotherapy? What is family of origin psychotherapy? I welcome you to read more, and to inform yourself on this very brief and informational topic.
What is family of origin work?
Family of origin work involves examining each person's history as a whole, that is, the quality of their parental relationships, their environment, the presence of traumatic experiences and how they have shaped themselves as individuals. The goal of this type of psychotherapy is to guide clients through challenging unhealthy belief systems, developing coping mechanisms, defense mechanisms, along with improving their emotional and relational well-being.
“How does my current relationship have anything to do with my childhood or my parenting experience?”
This is a common question that is asked by clients, just like you. Despite the fact that many people are, at times, confused about this question, it is worth asking.
The needs in an intimate relationship are similar to those you might have experienced from your parents and or primary caregivers. Your relationships with them can mirror and influence your personal relationships by your experiences with your parents and or caregivers. As you grow, your early experiences influence your brain wiring; your vulnerabilities, how you view yourself, how you view others, and the world around you. Other circumstances, in addition to parent relationships, may have a greater impact on your life than you realize, either to your advantage or disadvantage.
The purpose of the work is not to blame and dwell on the intense emotions around the experience (that you may have bottled up). This process involves gaining new insights and an understanding of how you have been affected. The idea is to empathize with you, to understand your situation, and to validate why you developed the unhelpful belief systems that you did. The goal is to move forward in your life, and to build a new relationship with yourself, others, and the rest of the world.
Do you Need Family of Origin Psychotherapy?
If you experienced any of the following, then family of origin psychotherapy may be beneficial for you:
● Your parent(s) was highly critical of you
● You experienced trauma (physical, sexual or emotional abuse)
● You had a smothering parent(s)
● You had a parent with mental illness
● You were neglected physically or emotionally
● You were parentified (expected to be responsible for things that were beyond
your age group)
● You experienced a role reversal with a parent ( expected to take care of a parent
emotionally)
If any of these hit home or you feel triggered by the above criteria, please take a deep breath, because you are not alone. Many people feel the same and become afraid when the option to face their past becomes a reality. Your help is right around the corner, you just have to make that first step, and your therapist will be there, guiding you every step of the way.
If you would like to start family of origin therapy to help you heal past trauma and improve the relationship you have with yourself and your loved ones, A Better Life Therapy can help.
Eman Almusawi, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Eman offers therapy in our office in Center City, Philadelphia and virtually for residents of Philadelphia. She can support you to identify how your family of origin has influenced you and might be impacting your current state.
Looking for therapy for another reason?
The therapists at A Better Life Therapy can help. We offer in-person mental health therapy for individuals, family therapy, and couples therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ardmore, Pennsylvania.
We also offer online therapy for residents of California, Maryland, New Jersey & Pennsylvania.
To schedule therapy in Philadelphia, on The Main Line, or virtually, click here.