Examining Family‐of‐origin Influences in Life at Work*

Patterns of interaction to which people became accustomed in their families of origin often play largely unacknowledged roles in their lives at work and can contribute to unwanted pressures and stress on the job. This article describes a method that can be used by family therapists to assist people in identifying and examining the ways in which family‐of‐origin dynamics affect their lives at work. A rationale for this work is described, relevant literature is cited, and professional and ethical issues involved in conducting family‐of‐origin workshops in the work setting are discussed.