So what is toxic parent recovery?

 I asked myself the same question, to be honest.  I was looking for a way of describing the presenting issues of the clients that I’ve enjoyed working with the most, and that phrase seemed to fit. 

These clients have come in for all kinds of different reasons.  Anxiety that they can’t explain.  Self-criticism and self-doubt. People pleasing or perfectionism. Attracting or tolerating unhealthy relationships. Some have come in with an awareness of the negative experiences they’ve endured, others have discovered this during the process of counseling and exploring family dynamics.

And what even constitutes a toxic parent? That’s an interpretation for the client to make.  This could include a parent who struggles with addiction.  It could be a physically abusive parent or an absent one.  It may be that you feel you were manipulated by a parent.  Or you may feel that your parent had expectations that were impossible to meet.

Everyone’s recovery journey is going to look a bit different, and it should be that way.  We’re not all alike, we’ll have different comfort levels or cultural factors that will influence what we want our outcomes to be.  This also influences how you’ll reclaim yourself and form your own narrative. 

The big takeaway is that we are influenced by our backgrounds, but they don’t have to completely define us.  Our experiences are a part of us, but not all of us.