Early family relationships are of particular importance in family systems theory, although our chosen families are very significant as well. Generational patterns and ancestral traumas are also considered. Many people come to therapy to heal patterns and wounds that have may been passed down for generations. Knowing how a person has been formed and shaped by their early family history is often helpful in addressing many of our current challenges. I often use a modality from family systems theory in helping clients work through early trauma. It is also useful for clients who are struggling with current life challenges that have their roots in early relationship patterns. This modality is a framework I use with people who initiate therapy wanting to reflect on their lives in an intentional way.

In the early years of my career, I worked intensively with adolescents who had been removed from their families and were living in residential care. My job as a therapist was to work with the family and the adolescent in an effort to reunite them as a family. This experience really taught me a great deal about how our early family relationships can have an impact on us, and how patterns can often be passed down for generations. As you can imagine, these families had been through difficult and traumatic experiences. However, it was hopeful to observe how many families, when given the support and resources, were able to mend the ruptures that had ripped them apart and come back together in a healthier way.