Scott Smith LCSW
Tokyo Psychotherapy

If a parent is overwhelmed, depressed, or needy, the emotionally sensitive child quickly realizes that their own authentic feelings (like anger, sadness, or frustration) are unwelcome. To preserve that crucial bond with their needy parent, the child makes an unconscious trade, effectively saying: "I will sacrifice my real feelings if it means securing your love and approval."

“Psychosocial development” is the idea that our emotional lives, identities, and relationships grow and change over time. I reckon most people would agree that we do change, right? For example, I’m an old man now. I’m still me; I’m the same person I’ve always been, basically. But the ways in which I think, feel and behave have changed quite a bit since I was an infant. There are many theories about how we develop and change psychologically as we go through life. Most of them