I had to revisit my post as I started to second guess if being an introvert was genetic or not. Researchers have found that introverts have a higher blood flow to their frontal lobe than extroverts do. This part of the brain helps you remember things, solve problems, and plan ahead. Introvert brains also react differently to dopamine than extrovert brains do. Introverts and extroverts have the same amount of the dopamine chemical, but extrovert brains get an excited buzz from their reward center and introverts tend to feel run-down by it (WebMD).

Additionally, as I think about this DQ, I really had to think about what was genetic and what was learned. I did not grow up with my biological father beyond the age of three, and no contact with him besides a few letters when I sought to find him in my twenties before he passed away. My step-father raised me from age four onward with my mother. Addiction (and aggression) is prominent in my biological and adoptive father (as well as many other family members). I am quite intentional about not using substances and (now) limiting my alcohol intake. Aremy temperamental tendencies genetically from my biological father or my environment with my stepfather or a combination of both?

I find determining biological enablers will be the most challenging as a counsellor because character traits can be genetic, learned ora mix of both and as we know, epigenetic changes can be trigger by experience, can last a lifetime, and can be passed on to future generations (Pinel and Barnes, 2021).