The more I work with clients the more I see the importance family roles play throughout our entire lives and within every relationship we have. We will replicate the roles we played in our families of origin in every relationship we have. We do this over and over unless we actively recognize and work to change them. And yes, they can be changed.
What are some of the more common roles I see being played out? The Scapegoat, the Hero, the Sick One, the Martyr, the Caretaker, the Caped Crusader. Any others? The can be combined into dual roles too. In my work with clients and within my own work I have this concept of roles to be very powerful, yet I find very little written about it. The good news is, if you recognize the role you are playing and the behavior you engage to create (and recreate) it, you can change the behavior and change the role to become a fully authentic person rather than just a role. It's hard work, but the payoffs can be amazing.