The Upstream Analogy
Imagine a river with people floating down stream. It’s easy to focus on those in the water to try and save them from drowning. But why are they falling in the river in the first place? This is called the Upstream Analogy. It’s a lesson in prevention, which is relatable in both therapy and parenthood.
Early in my therapeutic career, I worked primarily with adolescents. I learned most parents are willing to make the necessary life changes to help their child’s recovery, but some are simply not willing to make any sacrifices to their daily routine. In a way, this helped perpetuate generational cycles of trauma, eating disorders, and other mental health conditions existing in their family. Simply put, it made the child’s life really tough. Trying to recover and heal in a family system that will not change can feel impossible.
After opening my own psychotherapy practice, I noticed many clients wanted to work on their own personal recovery, stemming from childhood experiences, before becoming parents themselves. They wanted to stop any unhelpful generational cycles and lingering trauma to create a more positive family experience for themselves and their children.
This is where I believe the most important work can happen. As people become new parents, they can make necessary changes in their lives and heal from past wounds and traumas. They can prevent their children falling into the river. There may have been cycles that have been repeated for generations, but one that can end with you. By focusing on the parenting community - the individuals who can be the change makers - we can work together to break generational cycles of trauma and create a better and more beautiful life for ourselves and our children.
This is where our work together begins. The fact you are already reading this is a sign you are a change maker; you want to be brave and break unhelpful generational cycles - not just for yourself but also for generations to come. I created a free guide to help you in this process and you can find it here!
