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Differentiation reflects an ability to maintain your beliefs and sense of self under relational pressure.

Differentiation also reflects a capacity to not become overwhelmed by or take on others' emotions.

A lack of differentiation reflects difficulty separating your thoughts and feelings from those of others.

Have you ever been in a relationship where you find yourself being emotionally reactive or saying things you don't mean? Or, have you been left feeling drained after spending time with a person?

In psychology, there’s a concept that helps explain these experiences and offers a path toward responding differently. It’s called differentiation.

What Is Differentiation?

A prominent family therapist, Murray Bowen, described differentiation as “the ability to be in emotional contact with others yet still autonomous in one’s emotional functioning.”

If you’re familiar with the psychological concept of........

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