What is an “Adult Child”?

• A child who was forced to take on an “adult” role in a family that did not have adequate or reliable adult role models
• An adult who, despite being grown up, has childlike qualities and behaviours that were developed in an unsafe environment

During her work as a Life Coach, Judy Klipin began to notice some themes and challenges which are common to many of her clients. At first she was slightly taken aback how many of her clients had limiting beliefs centred on (amongst others) their need to be perfect, their inability to trust themselves and others, and their horror of asking for help. These limiting beliefs seemed to stem from childhoods punctuated by unpredictability, chaos and/or varying degrees of physical, emotional and spiritual neglect, resulting in grown up men and women who are “Adult Children”.

Life Lessons for the Adult Child offers valuable insights and help for Adult Children to transform their challenging childhoods.

About the author

Judy Klipin is the Martha Beck Master Life Coach in South Africa and runs Martha’s South African programmes. She conducts Life Coach Training programmes, corporate workshops and public lectures. She has a BA and an HDipEd from the University of the Witwatersrand and an MSc in Criminal Justice Studies from the University of Leicester, UK. She is an Associate Lecturer at the Graduate School of Public and Development Management (Wits), where she provides coaching and academic support to Master’s students.