The Causal Theory states that "All Children are born Good", even serial killers. We do not believe that children come into this world with a set of predetermined behaviors that have been encoded into our genes. This theory states that our personalities are formed by our earliest experiences, especially the first year of life. The Causal theory operates on the principle of cause and effect. What happens to the child, even a newborn baby, directly affects how they behave. Childhood experiences predict adult personality.

The current medical model on the origins of emotional and behavioral disorders considers ADHD, depression, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia and other dysfunctional behaviors the result of abnormalities in our genetic makeup or a chemical imbalance. Thus, the child diagnosed with ADHD is viewed as having the problem and her problem must be medicated and managed. Similarly, the infant that cries inconsolably is labeled colicky or overly sensitive. In both cases the child is viewed as having been born that way. In this theory we view the child as simply reacting to and coping with an environment that is not providing the child with what she needs to feel safe and thrive.

When we say "environment", we really mean mom or the primary caretaker. We believe that the bond or quality of attachment between the primary caretaker and child is the single most important element in forming the child's personality. If mom experienced neglect or abuse in her childhood she will unknowingly neglect or abuse her own child. She will not know how to give her child what is needed because she never got it. This is the real reason why depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and a host of other symptoms show up generation after generation.

While no one has a perfect childhood, we believe parents are the key to their own child's well being. This theory makes parents, not genetics, responsible for the emotional health of their child. Our emphasis is on prevention. We teach parents how to parent and show them how to heal their own children when they have been injured.

For more on the Causal Theory visit www.thecausaltheory.com or Dr. Faye Snyder's website www.fayesnyder.com.