Therapy Chat Podcast, episode 61.

This is the Therapy Chat podcast.

The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for seeking help from a licensed

mental health professional.

And now, here's Laura Reagan, L-C-S-WWC, with today's episode.

Hi, welcome back to therapy chat.

I'm your host, Laura Reagan, LCSWC, and today's episode is a special holiday edition.

Today is Wednesday, November 23rd, and tomorrow is Thanksgiving, 2016.

I work with people who have pain from their family of origin, and so for my

clients, so many of them really struggle with the holidays. There's kind of this thing where we

believe that the holidays are supposed to be a wonderful,

beautiful, joyous time with family togetherness and love, peace and harmony, good food,

enjoying one another's company, being filled with gratitude. And that's a beautiful picture.

And it's great if it can be that way.

But when you grew up with a family where you felt you were not enough, you did not feel worthy,

your voice was not welcome, people didn't want to hear what you had to say.

Maybe there was anger if you expressed an opposing view from someone else's opinion.

And maybe you felt disempowered, overlooked. There was favoritism.

Any dysfunctional dynamics in your family of origin can mean that when you think about the holidays, you may want it to be a certain way, but when you go back and visit with family, those old patterns come

out and it's always a disappointment that this is not what I had in mind. I had these visions and

dreams that it was going to be different this time and it's the same as always and my trauma

is triggered.

...