Break the power of the past

These questions are from Peter Scazzero's book " Emotionally Healthy Discipleship."  
If you are interested in purchasing this book, click here.
If you would like to meet with one of our christian counselors, click here.
  • How would you describe each family member (parents, caretakers, grandparents, siblings, etc.) with two or three adjectives?
  • How would you describe your parents' (or caretakers') and grandparents' marriages?
  • How was conflict handled in your extended family over two to three generations? Anger? Gender roles?
  • What were some generational themes (for example, addictions, affairs, losses, abuse, divorce, depression, mental illness, abortion, children born out of wedlock, etc.)?
  • How well did your family do in talking about feelings?
  • How was sexuality talked or not talked about? What were the implied messages?
  • Were there any family "secrets" (such as an unwed pregnancy, incest, or financial scandal)?
  • What was considered "success" in your family?
  • How was money handled? Spirituality? Relationships with extended family?
  • How did your family's ethnicity, race, culture shape you?
  • Were there any heroes or heroines in the family? Scapegoats? "Losers?" Why?
  • What addictions, if any, existed in your family?
  • What traumatic losses has your family suffered? For example, sudden death, prolonged illness, stillbirth/miscarriage, bankruptcy, or divorce?
  • What additional losses or wounds resulted from those traumatic losses? For example, loss of a nurturing childhood, loss of an emotionally available mother or father, loss of trust, etc.?