There has been a surge of individuals coming to this bi-monthly mailing list lately thanks to Psychology Today featuring a regular column from me “Making the Whole Beautiful – A companion to your relational trauma recovery journey.”
With so many new members here, I thought it would be valuable to re-share one of the older but most popular pieces that I’ve ever written, an article that still generates comments and emails nearly weekly: The power of being the black sheep in your family.
It’s an article that explores what the term “Black Sheep” actually means as it relates to family systems.
It explores the “Shadow and Light” sides of this archetype, and it talks about what the healing tasks may be for one who identifies as the “Black Sheep” of their family or community system.
Finally, the article concludes with a list of journaling prompts to deepen your self-inquiry and personal growth work.
Why Doesn’t Your Success Feel as Good as It Looks?
A quiz to help you understand why you might feel less stable beneath the surface despite working so hard to build a good life.
START THE QUIZ
Whether you’re a long-time reader and this is a second read of that article for you, or if you’re a first-time reader of it, I hope that it will provide you with a sense of validation, normalization, and a reframe of what may have often felt like a painful or pejorative role for you.
From my side of the fence to yours, I hope this read (or re-read) of my popular essay “The power of being the black sheep in your family.” feels supportive.
If you feel so inclined, please leave me a message in the comments.
I’d love to know what this article evoked for you and how you personally see the power of being the “Black Sheep” of your family system.
Here’s to healing relational trauma and creating thriving lives on solid foundations.
Warmly,
Annie
