Natalie Foster
Licensed Professional Counselor
PIT - Post Induction Therapy
Understanding where your patterns came from can help you create something different.
Sometimes the ways you cope, relate, and respond to life made sense at one point, but may no longer be serving you.
Post Induction Therapy (PIT) helps you understand how your early relationships and experiences shaped the beliefs, patterns, and survival strategies you carry today. By developing greater awareness and learning healthier ways of relating to yourself and others, you can begin creating the relationships and life you actually want.
What is PIT?
Post Induction Therapy (PIT) is an approach developed to help adults work through the effects of growing up in dysfunctional or emotionally unhealthy family systems.
Our early experiences can shape the way we see ourselves, other people, and the world around us. You may have learned to over-function, people-please, avoid conflict, take care of everyone else, struggle with boundaries, or believe that your worth depends on what you do for others.
These patterns are not character flaws. They often developed as ways of adapting to what you experienced.
PIT helps you understand these patterns with compassion while learning new ways to respond. Rather than simply asking, “What’s wrong with me?” we can begin asking, “Where did I learn this, and is it still serving me?”
How does PIT work?
There are 3 stages to the work. Here’s what you can expect:
1. First, we’ll understand your story. We’ll explore your family system, early relationships, experiences, and the messages you received growing up. Together, we’ll identify patterns that may still be showing up in your relationships, emotions, and decisions today.
2. Next, we’ll identify the patterns keeping you stuck. You’ll begin recognizing the beliefs and coping strategies that developed from your experiences. We may explore patterns such as people-pleasing, perfectionism, caretaking, difficulty setting boundaries, emotional avoidance, or feeling responsible for other people’s emotions.
3. Finally, we’ll work toward healthier ways of relating. Understanding where your patterns came from is only part of the process. We’ll work on developing healthier beliefs, boundaries, communication, emotional regulation, and relationships so you can respond from who you are today rather than automatically repeating what you learned in the past.
What can PIT help with?
PIT may be helpful if you:
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Struggle to set boundaries without feeling guilty
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Feel responsible for other people's emotions
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Frequently put other people's needs before your own
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Have difficulty trusting yourself or your decisions
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Find yourself repeating unhealthy relationship patterns
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Struggle with perfectionism or people-pleasing
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Feel like you have to hold everything together
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Have difficulty identifying or expressing your emotions
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Carry shame, low self-worth, or a strong inner critic
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Understand your patterns intellectually but still struggle to change them
Watch this video for more information on how PIT was formed!
FAQs for PIT
1. Do I have to have had a traumatic childhood to do PIT?
No. PIT can be helpful for anyone who recognizes patterns in their relationships, emotions, or coping that they would like to better understand and change. We’ll look at your experiences within the context of your individual story rather than assuming what your childhood was like.
2. Does PIT mean blaming my parents?
No. Understanding how your early experiences affected you is not about assigning blame. It is about developing insight into where certain beliefs and patterns came from so you can decide what you want to carry forward and what you want to change.
3. What if I already understand why I am the way I am?
Insight is an important starting point, but understanding a pattern and changing a pattern are not always the same thing. PIT can help you move from simply recognizing your patterns to practicing healthier ways of responding.
4. Can PIT help with relationships?
Yes. Because our early relationships can influence the way we connect with others, PIT can be particularly helpful when you notice recurring patterns in romantic relationships, friendships, family relationships, or other important connections.
5. Is PIT only for people from dysfunctional families?
PIT was developed around the effects of dysfunctional family systems, but the work can be useful for a broader range of relational and emotional concerns. We’ll determine together whether this approach fits your specific needs.
6. How do I know if PIT is right for me?
You don't have to know before starting. We can talk about what you're experiencing, the patterns you want to change, and your goals for therapy to determine whether PIT, or another approach, would be the best fit.
Trauma Therapy in Scottsdale Arizona
Natalie Foster Therapy
Therapy for adults ready to heal, grow, and create lasting change in Scottsdale, Arizona.