Guilt-Based Parenting
A developmental environment where guidance, compliance, or emotional closeness were shaped primarily through guilt rather than clear boundaries or direct communication. A child may have felt responsible for a caregiver’s feelings, stress, or well-being, learning that asserting needs, setting limits, or disappointing others caused harm. Over time, this can shape chronic self-blame, difficulty prioritizing personal needs, heightened sensitivity to others’ emotions, and a tendency to use guilt (internally or relationally) as a regulator of behaviour.
