Accountability and Personal Growth: Moving Beyond Childhood Influences
Josh Dickson, MSc. EMDR (Acc.)
Founder of Resurface (surf-therapy programmes) | EMDR Consultant & Positive Psychologist | Transforming Lives with Evidence-Based Therapies
As a trauma therapist with over 12 years of experience, I'm often asked about the impact of parental influence on adult life.
My perspective might surprise you:
1. Childhood Influences: parents undoubtedly shape our early experiences, but as we grow, so does our capacity for independent thought.
2. Adult Responsibility: while we can acknowledge parental shortcomings, it's crucial to take ownership of our personal growth and healing as adults.
3. The Power of Self-Reflection: objective evaluation of our upbringing allows us to break free from unhealthy patterns and explore new possibilities.
4. Overcoming the Blame Game: instead of dwelling on past grievances, focus on developing better coping mechanisms and thought processes.
5. Embracing Personal Agency: recognize that as an adult, you have the power to reshape your beliefs, behaviours, and overall mental health.
6. The Path to Empowerment: acknowledge past influences, but don't let them define your future. Your ability to think independently is proof of your resilience.
Remember: Your childhood may have shaped you, but your adulthood is yours to define.
Embrace the challenge of personal growth and take charge of your own narrative. This may include certain kinds of therapy to help with letting go of the past (EMDR, TF-CBT), helping with the present (mindfulness, HRV training, polyvagal theories) and dealing with the future (Positive Psychology, Learned Optimism).
What strategies have you found effective in overcoming childhood influences?
Share your thoughts below.
#ParentalInfluence #PersonalGrowth #TraumaTherapy
Welcome to my world, Josh, DBT Land.
Best Selling Author, Keynote Speaker | Firefighter Mental Health Advocate, Philanthropist, Empath, PTSD Warrior, #PTG
4moBook Author
4moThank you for this perspective, I agree that we have much more control over our future once we move past the blame game and take some ownership and accountability for where we are going. True growth has to come from the will to move beyond the issues of the past and form the life we want not the life we feel we were dealt.
Focus: living extraordinarily by healing trauma, empowering you to heal childhood abuse and/or neglect by raising your neurophysiological resilience. Making Resistance Witches and Warriors. 🥁Aspiring drummer.
4moI used tremoring to heal my delopmental trauma. That was the foundation anyway. Then I found myself going through phases, like an emotional one so I added Mixed Emotions cards to the mix.
Yoga Teacher | Mindfulness Leader | Wellbeing Champion | Finance Professional | MSc Student: Consciousness, Spirituality & Transpersonal Psychology - Alef Trust
4moIt's an interesting perspective Josh, yet also a topic that is deeply complex and interwoven within the fabric of all us, especially from a genetic perspective. The effect that parents have over 'us' is enormous - it can be very difficult to break free from these shackles, and requires a lot of work and determinism. The work of Robert Bly, and 'Iron John' provides an interesting mythological perspective on what it means for a man to become initiated in this world.