Family roles
The hero, the scapegoat, the lost child and the mascot: where these roles come from, what they protect, and how people outgrow…
Family relationships
Family systems theory
A plain-language guide to the idea that families work as emotional systems, and to the eight concepts Murray Bowen used to describe…
Fear of abandonment
If the fear of being left hits harder than the moment seems to warrant, this explains why and what may help.
Fawning (fawn response)
Agreeing, apologizing and smoothing things over before you even know what you feel? That may be the fawn response. Here is what…
Attachment parenting
Babywearing, breastfeeding, sleeping close: attachment parenting has strong fans and critics. Here is where it came from, and what attachment science actually…
Intergenerational trauma
An honest look at how the effects of trauma can echo through families, what science supports, and what is still unproven.
Birth order
Oldest, middle, youngest, only: what theories claim about birth order, what large studies actually found, and what may matter more.
Genogram
A family map that shows not just who is related to whom, but how they relate, and what keeps repeating across generations.
Black sheep of the family
What it means to be the one who never quite fit, why families sometimes cast someone in that role, and how to…
Golden child
What it means to be, or grow up beside, the family favorite, and why the golden role carries costs of its own.
Want to talk it through with Iryna?
Reading helps. Talking can help more. Iryna meets online with individuals, couples and families anywhere in Michigan.