ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the usual internal family systems (IFS) work of unburdening clients by focusing on legacy burdens, the intergenerational transmission of constraining, negative feelings and beliefs. It illustrates some of the ways in which legacy burdens are transmitted between generations, including keeping secrets, shaming, enforcing the family code of behavior with threats or rewards and exploiting a child's fears of abandonment and bonds of loyalty. The chapter also focuses on how one can help clients identify, explore and release legacy burdens. Alcoholism is a clear illustration of the role of secrecy and shame in legacy burdens. Legacy burdens involve family values, rules and loyalties. They are transmitted in patterned interactions within the family and larger culture and often involve prejudice about various kinds of differences: being different in any way from the family norm or the dominant culture or being made to feel inferior due to gender, body weight, sexual orientation, race or culture.
