Originally emerging in studies of pathological family systems, enmeshment is a term that refers to a breakdown of boundaries between two members of the system in which closeness and separation are inappropriately organized. What ensues is an interlinked relationship in which one or both parties seek to have their needs met primarily through the other, often by using unconscious strategies of manipulation, guilt, codependence, and power/control dynamics. As the enmeshment rigidifies, the rest of the family system is typically coerced to condone, not confront, the entangled relationship. Children who grow up in enmeshed relationships are, as adults, challenged with establishing and maintaining relationships not reliant on coercive patterns of obligation and expectation. In the next virtual meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on Saturday, December 19, 2020 (11:45 AM to 1:00 PM), we will discuss enmeshment and its powerful aversive effects on close relationships in adulthood.

Registration Directions: If you would like to attend the virtual meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on Saturday, December 19, 2020, 11:45 AM to 1:00 PM, please RSVP to me at 949-338-4388 or jt@jamestobinphd.com on or before December 17, 2020. The fee is $25.00 (payable before entering the virtual seminar) and informed consent for participation in this telehealth event must be completed prior to the seminar. Please note that the Relationship Group Seminar is psychoeducational in nature, not therapeutic, and does not constitute psychotherapy or counseling.