In the 1960’s Dr. Stephen Karpman first described the three reactive and problem-focused roles of Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer that he named the Drama Triangle. One role—that of Rescuer—is especially familiar to us. We often say that we are both “recovering Rescuers.” The Rescuer role is the “pain reliever” in the Drama Triangle and focuses […]
This parable was written by the late husband of a good friend of ours. How does a trapeze artist learn to pry their fingers off the familiar bar and leap to the one coming at them? Discovering their secret changed the way we now relate to the tension of life. We think it will change […]
Over the years, readers have shared their stories with us about how they are applying TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)® in their lives. This week we begin an exciting new feature to our weekly blog. We are capturing these stories on video and will be sharing them with you from time to time. In the brief […]
At the core of the TED* (*The Empowerment Dynamic)® work is love and appreciation for others. We first must see others as Creators, whether they act like it or not, before we can be in an empowering, drama-free relationship. Fear, however, is the emotion that drives all 3 roles of Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor that […]
“What can I, as an individual, do to make a difference to positively impact the huge issues we are facing?” This is a question we hear in many conversations and meetings as we all face the realities of the pandemic, social inequities, systemic racism, and global warming – to name a few. The list is long, […]
This pandemic has created new ways of working and living together. It has also created enormous tension and stress. Stress can be defined as, “What we feel when we are facing too many demands and fear we may not live up to it.” Many families are facing another year of demands, working from home, and […]
Growing up, we both heard these phrases from our parents: “Be nice, Donna, and get along.” David heard “you have to learn to share,” and “don’t fight” was a favorite. Our parents did the best they could, and what many of these phrases taught us was to be overly agreeable. We humans are drawn to […]
“Once I reach my goal, I will be happy,” is what most people say when they set a goal. What is problematic about this approach to life is the idea that your happiness is somewhere in the future and not available to you now. Goals, by their nature, fool you into thinking that outside circumstances […]
These are troubling times and everyone is struggling. You may be feeling a bit weary too, as are we. While there is no denying the disruptive realities in our world, we also know that what we focus on has a great deal to do with what shows up in our lives. That is the basis […]
The month of July hosts several Independence Day celebrations around the world. July 1st was Canada’s Independence Day and the “4th of July” is recognized in the US as the day the states became free and independent from the tyranny of a foreign king. The current global disruption is showing the world that freedom exists, […]
