Beyond the surface : an exploration of family secrets as entry points into complex family dynamics

Abstract

This paper explores how family secrets, silences, and disclosures encountered during childhood serve as pivotal elements in understanding complex family dynamics, as revealed through a qualitative study involving seven adult participants. Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth interviews were conducted to examine the participants’ experiences of secrecy within their families. The findings suggest that family secrets, rather than being isolated occurrences, function as ‘entry points’ into more intricate and often hidden family dynamics and underlying issues. These secrets unveil deeper layers of family relationships and communication patterns, providing a portal into unresolved conflicts and unspoken tensions. Participants’ narratives disclosed a broad spectrum of themes, including parental depression, life-threatening illness, paternity uncertainty, financial struggles, infidelity, violence, abuse, and inheritance disputes. The enduring impact of these secrets on the participants’ development, maturation, and relational functioning stresses the importance of addressing such dynamics in systemic therapeutic interventions.