Passing Down Patterns from One Generation to the Next

We are taught to grit our teeth and live with emotional and psychological discomfort — and we’re praised for being “strong.”

In adulthood, we sometimes become aware of the discomfort we've always felt, and often we choose to “look on the bright side”: “Well, I turned out okay, after all (haha).”

In Transactional Analysis, Fanita English spoke about what she called the “hot potato” — something we hold onto as long as we can, only to pass it down to the next generation, often to our children.

Of course, in relationships with our partners and in many other types of relationships, that discomfort will show up in various ways: through dysfunctional relational patterns, conflicts, or unhealthy ways of avoiding conflict.

In therapy, we come into contact with the true shape of that discomfort, so that — within the context of a new, healthy relationship (the therapeutic one) — we can begin to experience new ways of being, of taking care of the Inner Child who always felt that discomfort, and of nurturing healthier relationships with those around us.

And maybe, this time, that “hot potato” ends up in a stew, where it actually belongs. :)

#florentaturleapsychotherapist #hotpotato #generationalhealing #transactionalanalysis

#selfawareness