Notes from Psychotherapy Networker Symposium

So you know I like to present you with the latest information on family, marriages and children. I attend all sorts of workshops and review a few great books here and there. Well as promised I went to a Psychotherapy Networker workshop at the ending of March '10. It was a three day weekend event. It was being held in DC and I was able to get in for free as my dear former Professor in Family Counseling added me and a few others on a get in free list. I won't tell you the price for the workshop as it was quite a steep fee. Now the notes to the workshop for the section on The New American Family is what I will be posting here. Hopefully it will all make sense and I hope you find something interesting within the notes. Notes were taken from two Psychotherapists (one male, one female) who have their own private practice and made observations, over time, based on their patients and families presenting problems.

The New American Family

*We are feeling more isolated. What we present publically is not who we are in private. We do not get the help we need. Instead we are in an age of videos and Facebook yet still feel lonely. There is a reason why we are shifting. It is a new paradigm. The shift is between how we were raised and how our children are raised.

*The generation of the Boomers is near over. In Boomer generation there were clear distinctions of roles. There was hierarchy. There was also a behind the curtain abuse as well. We are now moving into a better period for Post-Boomers.

*Post-Boomer Paradox-In the mid 90's, there was a different breed of casual sexual behavior with rebelliousness. Oral and Anal sex was not considered "actual sex". The definition of focus was to be able to do your homework in 45 minutes. There was a different sensibility without the hierarchy. These late 90's kids came to to the mental health professionals with their parents as "fellow travelers". There are no hierarchy of roles. Examples-both parent and child grew up on the web. A daughter who was grounded called the police on her father. A son called ACS on his parents because he could not go to a mid week concert. A daughter and mother was selling marijuana. The daughter was stealing the profits so the mother asked the psychologist what she should do. The Psychologist said poignantly, "Stealing is illegal. You should call the police".

-Part two of Notes from Psychotherapy Networker Symposium (NPNS) will be presented at the next posting.