Our sense of security and trust (in ourselves, in others, and in reality itself) often starts with our family environment – the foundation upon which our personality, future relationships, and physical/psychological health is based.

As children, we may have experienced varying degrees of material and emotional security. Even if the caregivers and authority figures in our lives had the best of intentions and were generally supportive and loving people, it’s likely that we did not come out of our early years without experiencing some form of disappointment, loss, betrayal, boundary violation, or traumatic event.

For some of us, there may have been times when our needs for respect, positive self-regard, emotional, psychological or physical safety were severely threatened or violated (worse yet, by the very people who professed to have our best interest at heart.)