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Deflection: How to Spot and Stop It
Deflection is a go-to defense mechanism that started in the Garden of Eden. Adam deflected onto Eve and Eve onto the snake. I’m not the bad guy here. He or she is the bad guy! In order to avoid unpleasant emotions or realities in our lives, we distract ourselves and others from the source of the difficulty. We change the conversation to something else entirely. For some of us, being thought of as the bad guy is the worst fate possible. Anyone with children sees this in action daily. If Mommy reprimands Jimmy for hitting his brother, Jimmy will use deflection to draw the attention from himself. Mommy, but Billy…
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The Heartbreak of Parental Inversion: In Eight Pieces
The first time I really became aware of how grievous parental inversion is, came in a meeting with a student, Susan, who had recently broken up with her boyfriend. They had been together for a number of years. As my student related their history, I noticed that she seemed to be relatively unemotional. I was surprised as he had left the relationship unexpectedly for another. When I asked her about her feelings, her response took me aback. “Oh, I haven’t had time to really feel anything. I have been comforting my mother over the breakup. She is so heartbroken, you would think it was hers,” she said. Susan went on…
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Discipline and Abuse: Discerning the Difference
Control The most important aspect of emotionally healthy, loving discipline centers around the idea of control. Discipline should be designed to give the child control, to give them a choice. Too many parents think that the control should belong to the parent, but this is wishful thinking. You draw a distinct boundary and let your child know that he or she must not cross it. The choice to obey you belongs to them. Consequences will occur should they decide to ignore your boundary, obviously. But the locus of control belongs to them. After all, they must make choices their whole lives. It is never too early to start them learning to…
Healing Through Art & Words
