Understanding Compassionate Therapy and Legacy Burdens

Sep 26, 2024

Lecture on Compassionate Therapy and Legacy Burdens

Introduction

  • Speaker: Deran Young, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Topic: Compassionate therapy, focusing on legacy burdens

Understanding Legacy Burdens

  • Legacy burdens relate to intergenerational trauma and epigenetics.
  • Definition: Passed down trauma (beliefs, emotions) from family, society, or culture.
  • Example: Inner critic as a legacy burden.
  • Technical definition by Ann Sinko (IFS): Negative beliefs and energies passed down through family lines or cultural groups, often covertly.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Developed by Dick Schwartz.
  • Looks at family/environment influences on personality and relationships.
  • Common burdens among therapists: Over-identification with caregiving, avoiding conflict, people-pleasing.

Collective Burdens

  • Also known as collective trauma, affecting many people across various groups.
  • Examples in the military: Poverty as a legacy burden.
  • Book reference: "Cognitive Framework for Understanding Poverty" by Ruby Payne.

Four Main Collective Legacy Burdens in the U.S.

  1. Racism
  2. Patriarchy
  3. Materialism
  4. Individualism

The Role of Self-Compassion

  • Vulnerability in learning and unlearning legacy burdens.
  • Self-compassion as an antidote to shame.
  • Story of speaker's experience in the military.

Exploring Patriarchy and Other Burdens

  • Impact of cisgendered heterosexual patriarchy.
  • Discussion on privilege and societal norms.

The Eight C's of IFS

  • Compassion
  • Curiosity: Explore concepts with an open heart.
  • Connectedness: Understand the ripple effect of actions.

Video Presentation

  • Children’s racial biases explored through doll tests.
  • Video reveals early-age racial bias.
  • Discussion on the importance of addressing biases early.

Tools for Identifying Legacy Burdens

  • The Six F's in IFS:
    1. Find
    2. Focus
    3. Flesh out
    4. Feel toward
    5. Befriend
    6. Fear
  • Emphasis on understanding and befriending protective parts.

Therapy and Legacy Burdens

  • Therapists must explore their own burdens to help clients effectively.
  • Example: Speaker's personal burdens as a Black woman.

Conclusion

  • Importance of community and support in addressing legacy burdens.
  • Encourage unburdening and community-building as part of healing.