Family Duty and My Own Needs
Find a workable balance between obligation and your own wellbeing.
1-page fillable PDF · US Letter (prints on A4) · Culture, Migration & Identity
- Approach / concern
- Culture, Migration & Identity
- Technique
- Culture, Migration & Identity
- Format
- Fillable PDF, 1 page (US Letter / A4)
- Access
- Pro and Advanced plans (3-day free trial)
- For
- Licensed clinicians to use with clients
- Updated
- November 2026
Key facts
What is Family Duty and My Own Needs?
Find a workable balance between obligation and your own wellbeing. Many people hold strong values of duty and respect. Balancing these with your own needs is not selfishness.
When to use it
- Clients navigating two or more cultures
- Newcomers, refugees and second-generation clients
- Family pressure, stigma or shame about seeking help
- Experiences of racism or exclusion
How to use it in session
- Explain the purpose and check that the client wants to do this.
- Complete the table: family expectation, what it means to me, cost to me (0-10).
- A need of mine that is going unmet.
- A respectful way I could express it.
- Agree one small next step.
Clinician tips
- Ask what these ideas mean in the client’s own culture and family; do not assume.
- Avoid framing family closeness or duty as a problem to fix.
- Invite the client to use any language or word that fits.
Sharing with clients
Members can download the PDF to print or email, or copy a private client link from the download box. Your client opens the link and downloads the worksheet on any device. No client account is needed, and nothing your client writes is stored on TherapyAid.
This worksheet is an educational tool for use by, or under the guidance of, a licensed or registered mental-health professional. It is not a diagnostic instrument or a substitute for clinical judgement. If a client is in crisis in Canada, call or text 9-8-8 or call 9-1-1.
