ABSTRACT
A common theory amongst families who are experiencing behavioral problems with their children or adolescents is the idea that the problems are inherited and passed along from genera tion to generation. In addition, when looking at their family histories, it’s also common for par ents and others to say things such as, “He got his hyperactivity from his father,” “Her mother is the same way-she’s very emotional,” or “Alcoholism runs in our family.” When referring to their families of origin many will focus on negative predispositions, traits that were inherited, or behaviors that were learned. In a similar way, therapists have traditionally been educated as pa thology seekers. They’ve been trained to discover “what’s wrong” within families.
