Description

This session is sponsored by the Mormon Mental Health Association

Internal Family Systems therapy is a psychotherapeutic approach developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s that views the mind as naturally containing many sub-personalities or “parts.” These parts exist to help us navigate life, but can sometimes become extreme or dysfunctional, particularly when carrying emotional burdens from past experiences. In addition to individual burdens and traumas, we may carry generational, or ‘legacy’ burdens. Legacy burdens are beliefs, emotions, or behavioral patterns that weren’t originally generated within a person’s own life experience but were instead inherited or absorbed from family, culture, or society. These burdens are passed down through generations or transmitted through cultural contexts. This presentation will explore possible legacy burdens in the LDS context, including perfectionism, gender role constraints, and sexual shame, among others. We will also discuss generational strengths present in LDS communities and healing legacy burdens.