Overview

Most personal struggles and relationship issues result from problems with a person’s relationship with the self, which is rooted in relational injury (e.g. physical, emotional or sexual trauma, or neglect) experienced in child and early adulthood. Therapy involves a dual process of understanding and healing the relational trauma one experienced and focused attention on healing the relationship with self. There are five core issues, listed below, within the relationship with the self that lead to the development of secondary issues such as depression, anxiety, and addictions. Learning how to identify and manage the struggle in our relationship with self helps us to esteem ourselves more consistently, engage in good self care, have healthy, fulfilling relationships and take charge of the areas of our lives that feel unmanageable.

Five Core Issues (i.e. based on Pia Mellody’s Model of Developmental Trauma and Co-dependency):

• Problems esteeming the self
• Problems with vulnerability and self protection and containment
• Problems with perfection / self-loathing
• Problems with self-care and interdependency
• Difficulty with moderation