HOME, HURT, AND HEALING: LETTING GO OF EMOTIONAL CHILDHOOD BAGGAGE

Abstract

A home is supposed to be a place of love and safety but many times it becomes a source of long term emotional pain that is passed down through generations. According to John Bowlby’s attachment theory, early childhood experiences define their emotional development, saying first attachments with their caregivers mold them for life (Bowlby J. , 1978) and Ronald Rohner's Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory was developed to explain how parental behavior influences a child's emotional and psychological development. So such experiences often result in emotional neglect, feelings of abandonment, and struggles with self-worth in adulthood. The core idea of this thesis is aimed at healing childhood wounds and moving on from the pain of the past. This thesis design shows how a person can let go of the hurt when it is time, as an act of self-healing and not for anyone else, including their parents. Healing happens by accepting the past, making sense of the past, and deciding to move forward. By gaining perspective from their parents' experiences, it becomes easier for a person to forgive. Ultimately, the person releases themselves from the baggage of intergenerational trauma and re-births their negative core beliefs. This thesis serves as a reminder that healing is an internal job. Moving forward is hard but important.