Many of our adulthood attitudes, values and beliefs and subsequent behaviours can be traced to what was passed on to us in our formative years.

This course investigates this link with our first family – whether our biological family or other family system, e.g. foster or step family. How we communicate, resolve conflict, use anger effectively or not, and how we show affection – all these can all be traced to family patterns passed down from generation to generation.

The course

• introduces the Genogram, a tool to help map the generational patterns in families
• looks at family systems – the degree of flexibility and closeness in families and subsequent effects
• looks at family mottos, traditions and rules
• explores the role we played in our family of origin, and how we often revert to this role at family functions even though we may have adopted new roles
• looks at our ‘hidden baggage’ – communication and conflict resolution styles, attitudes around anger, sex and intimacy
• helps bring to consciousness those family patterns which we desire to change
• teaches skills that facilitate such change.

The course provides the information to avoid having the present and future anchored in the past.