Tag: family dynamics

The lively, bustling holiday season often brings up questions about "how to set healthy boundaries" with family and friends. These questions—and the answers to them—are so important, because solid personal boundaries can create the greatest of holidays. The tips and tools offered below will help you add a lasting glow to your holiday gatherings. As an added benefit, the concepts can also be used to improve interactions with family, friends, and co-workers throughout the year!

Families living with the proverbial “black hole” child start coping in unhealthy ways. Everyone alters their normal behavior to avoid stress or anxiety, but these behavioral changes make things worse. It’s unintentional, but parents, siblings, friends, and extended family act out psychological roles, and the dynamics are harmful. This is the "dysfunctional family," and these are some common roles:

* Protector: the emotional caregiver who defends the child regardless.