The Role of the Family Scapegoat in Dysfunctional Families (trigger warning)

[nolabear]

5. Hate to admit this but this is why I stopped seeing children in my therapy practice.

Too often the family was unable or unwilling to recognize that the child was reflecting the family's problem. They would come in and if they weren't too bad about reinforcing the situation that had the little one there the child would start to get better, and now unable to focus the attention on the child the family would find a way to take them out of therapy. I managed it for years by loving the ones who really did work hard to make the family better but eventually I got tired of being attacked and dismissed and having those marvelous little people yanked back into bad situations.

Luckily, I get to see the adults those kids grow up into and help them. People are remarkably resilient, and I admire their courage and stubborn refusal to be defeated every day.