By: Kat Boyne, LSW

A gentle introduction to a new series

I’ve been thinking about creating a series that I hope will be both meaningful and fun – inspired by my inner child of the ’90s and early 2000s, when we all loved a good “What type of ___ are you?” quiz.

Back then, we were always trying to figure out where we fit in – turning to magazines, online quizzes, or anyone but ourselves for the answers. As an adult (and an elder millennial), I realize not much has changed. There’s still this collective searching for identity, especially as we navigate the growing dissonance between generations – even within our own. “Elder millennials” versus “the younger crowd,” mid-Gen Z versus Gen Alpha – it can feel like we’re all floating somewhere in between, “too old” or “too young” to belong anywhere fully.

But in therapy, I’ve noticed something beautiful: the patterns that show up in the therapy room transcend generations entirely. No matter your age, gender, or background, most of us walk into therapy embodying one or more archetypes – inner blueprints that tell the story of how we’ve learned to survive, connect, protect, and care for others.

These archetypes aren’t boxes to squeeze into or labels to define us. They’re invitations – to understand why we respond the way we do, to meet ourselves with compassion instead of criticism, and to illuminate what healing might look like when we begin to see ourselves more clearly.

In the weeks ahead, this space will unfold into a living series – each post exploring one archetype at a time, honoring what it learned to carry and what it’s slowly learning to release. These reflections will be shared weekly, beginning with the Cycle Breaker – the one who dared to imagine a different ending. Therapy isn’t a destination or a checklist; it’s a living, relational process of remembering, softening, and coming home to yourself over time. If something here feels familiar or stirs a quiet “yes” in your body, you’re warmly invited to reach out and explore working together – you don’t have to navigate this healing alone.

So, without further ado – let’s meet the Archetypes of Those Who Walk Into Therapy.

The Generational Healers

The ones who said, “It ends with me.”

• The Cycle Breaker
  
• The Parentified Child
  
• The Ancestral Healer
  
• The Wounded Healer
  

You can’t rewrite the past, but you can choose what it writes through you.

The Relationship Navigators

Love has always felt like work, but you’re learning that safety can feel soft – even easy.

• The People Pleaser
  
• The Fixer
  
• The Avoidant Protector
  
• The Over/Under Functioner
  

You’re not too much for needing connection; you just learned to survive without it.

The Identity Reclaimers

You’ve played every role – now you’re remembering the real you.

• The Lost Self
  
• The Reclaimer
  
• The Late Bloomer
  
• The Identity Explorer
  

You’re not behind. You’re right on time for who you’re becoming.

The Performers & Protectors

You’ve built armor out of achievement – now you’re learning how to put it down.

• The Perfectionist
  
• The Hyper-Independent Survivor
  
• The Martyr
  
• The Burnout Warrior
  

Your worth was never meant to be earned… only remembered.

The Feelers & Regulators

Big hearts. Deep bodies. Always feeling everything – sometimes too much.

• The Suppressed One
  
• The Over-Feeler / Empath
  
• The Anxious Controller
  
• The Dissociated Dreamer
  

Your sensitivity isn’t the problem; it’s your compass. You just need to learn how to steer.

The Integrators

Healing isn’t about becoming someone new – it’s about remembering who you’ve been all along.

• The Seeker
  
• The Reparenting Adult
  
• The Boundary Builder
  
• The Integrator
  

Healing is not linear; it is cyclical, embodied, and deeply human.

A Reflection

Which archetype feels most like you right now?

Healing isn’t static – it’s fluid. We move between these archetypes throughout our lives, shifting with each new layer of awareness and growth.

— Kat Boyne, LSW
Trauma-informed therapy for cycle breakers, caregivers, and tender-hearted humans.