The ultimate role reversal: when the child becomes the parent.

  • Which sacrifices internal attunement

  • An incessant monitoring of others' emotional state and often racing out in front of others to buffer or protect them from struggle

  • And no one seems to notice our efforts

The compensatory sibling

  • Overachievement

    Somehow we knew that we needed to deliver for one or both of our parents since another sibling clearly abdicated. There had to be some wins, so we delivered.

    A young girl with long hair holds a smaller child in a black coat as they walk down a leaf-covered path through a forest. The scene is in black and white, creating a nostalgic, serene atmosphere.

  • A black hole

    Where our needs and wants would otherwise exist. Since we never had a parent attuned to our emotions, no one mirrored back these basic dimensions of ourselves.

    A vast night sky filled with countless stars, showcasing a vibrant band of the Milky Way stretching across the frame. The colors range from deep black to hints of blue and white, illustrating the beauty of the cosmos.

  • Anger

    Of course, there's anger, but that anger gets repressed because where will it go? Inward, that's where it goes, to restricting and scolding ourselves.

    A nighttime view of an erupting volcano with a thick plume of ash rising into the sky. The glowing lava flows down the volcano's slopes, contrasting with the dark landscape. The scene captures the power and intensity of the volcanic eruption.