From Midlife to Best Life

Episode 3: Family of Origin

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In this episode, Ana and guest and Registered Clinical Counsellor, Fernanda Souza, explore family relationships and their impact on personal growth, behavioral patterns, attachment styles, topics important  during midlife and beyond. 

Key Topics:
  1. Family of Origin:
    • Defined as the family you were born into, including cultural and national identity.
    • Influences include inherited values, unresolved traumas, and intergenerational wounds.
      • Midlife Reflections:
      • Midlife is seen as a prolific time for self-reflection and reevaluating family dynamics.
      • Revisiting personal identity and addressing unresolved issues with parents is common.
        • Attachment Styles:
        • Secure attachment develops through consistent parenting.
        • Inconsistent parenting or unresolved parental trauma can lead to attachment insecurities.
        • Adults can work on "naming and taming" their own attachment patterns to improve relationships.
          • Cutting Off vs. Maintaining Relationships:
          • Cutting ties with parents is sometimes necessary but does not always leads to healing.
          • Therapy can help clients explore ways to differentiate themselves from harmful dynamics while maintaining some connection, if feasible.
          • Healing often involves symbolic reconciliation rather than literal distancing.
            • Romantic and Parenting Relationships:
            • Family patterns, including attachment styles, influence adult relationships and parenting approaches.
            • Therapy helps individuals identify and adjust inherited behaviors that don't serve them well and stop intergenerational trauma.

              • Chapters

               

              00:00 Navigating Adult Relationships with Parents

              18:10 Understanding Attachment Styles and Their Impact

              25:53 Resources for Healing and Growth

               

              Related resources:

              • Books by Sue Johnson: Hold Me Tight, Love Sense
              • Esther Perel, Psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author
              • Drs. John and Julie Gottman, The Gottman Institute



                • Connect with us:

                Instagram: From Midlife to Best Life

                 

                Disclaimer: 

                This podcast content is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. It is not intended to substitute the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist or other qualified professional, diagnosis or treatment. Listeners should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

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                From Midlife to Best LifeBy Ana Yun & Iris Cai