Generation X and Latchkey Kids – The Forgotten Generation: The Benefits of Counselling

Generation X has long been described as the “forgotten generation.” Born roughly between 1965 and 1980, this group came of age during a cultural and economic transition that often left them caught between the traditions of their Baby Boomer parents’ values and the rapid social, technological, and economic changes that defined their formative years.

Unlike generations who were praised, criticized, or intensely studied, Gen X often received little attention. They were the kids who came home to empty houses after school, the so-called “latchkey kids,” armed with a house key around their neck and a TV dinner in the freezer. Independence and self-sufficiency were survival tools, not luxuries. Yet beneath the resilience and adaptability that have defined Generation X lies a quieter story: one of overlooked wounds and unmet emotional needs that often persist well into midlife.

At Empowered Life Counselling, we recognize that the experiences of latchkey kids have shaped an entire generation’s values, struggles, and mental health. Counselling can provide the support, reflection, and healing that many Gen X adults might not realize they have been missing. This blog will explore the unique challenges faced by Generation X, how being a latchkey kid left lasting marks, and—most importantly—how counselling offers profound benefits for those seeking to overcome the legacy of “the forgotten generation.”

The Latchkey Legacy: Growing Up Alone

The term latchkey kid refers to children left at home unsupervised for extended periods, often because parents worked long hours, were divorced, or both caregivers were balancing multiple jobs. For Generation X—the first to grow up in significant numbers under these conditions—this self-reliance became a cultural marker.

Key characteristics of the latchkey experience included:

• Early independence: Learning to cook, entertain themselves, and handle responsibilities without parental oversight.
• Emotional solitude: Spending afternoons in empty houses meant limited emotional engagement with caregivers.
• Parental absence: With rising divorce rates and increasing numbers of dual-income families, Gen X children frequently lacked consistent parental presence.
• Adaptability under pressure: From managing their own time to resolving conflicts alone, these children quickly adjusted to doing things on their own.

While independence can be a strength, these conditions also fostered challenges:

• Difficulty forming deep emotional bonds.
• Fear of vulnerability and reliance on others.
• A tendency toward self-criticism, perfectionism, and burnout.
• Feelings of invisibility or being overlooked.

In essence, the hallmark “you’re on your own” left a deep imprint—shaping not only their childhood but continuing into Generation X’s adult identity.

The Forgotten Generation in Adulthood

Despite being resourceful, adaptable, and hardworking, Generation X continues to grapple with a sense of invisibility. Sandwiched between Baby Boomers and Millennials, they are often overlooked in conversations around social reform, mental health advocacy, and cultural trends. This invisibility can feed pre-existing feelings of neglect or abandonment that were seeded in their latchkey upbringing.

Some common struggles now emerging in Gen X adults include:

• Chronic stress and burnout: As the “sandwich generation,” many are caring for aging parents while still supporting their own children.
• Emotional detachment: Years of managing feelings alone can lead to struggles in intimate relationships, often manifesting as emotional walls.
• Difficulty asking for help: Self-reliance, once essential for survival, has become a barrier to vulnerability and connection.
• Identity and purpose questions: Approaching or passing midlife, many wonder if their independence has cost them fulfilment or belonging.
• Mental health concerns: Anxiety, depression, and relational struggles are common, but often minimized by Gen X adults themselves.

At Empowered Life Counselling, we call this the silent crisis of Generation X. Outwardly, they appear competent, self-sufficient, and driven. Inwardly, they may carry a quiet but heavy burden of loneliness, disconnection, and unresolved childhood emotions.

Why Counselling Matters for Generation X

For many Gen Xers, seeking counselling can feel foreign or even shameful. After all, the “figure it out yourself” mantra defined their upbringing. But counselling provides a safe, non-judgmental space where deeply ingrained patterns of self-reliance can soften, and long-dismissed needs for connection and healing can be addressed.

Here are some of the most significant benefits of counselling for Generation X:

Reclaiming Emotional Connection

Counselling helps Gen X adults explore how early independence shaped their ability to connect with others. Therapy provides a space to learn, practice, and embrace vulnerability—the foundation of authentic relationships.

Breaking Patterns of Loneliness

Many latchkey kids internalized the idea that loneliness was “normal.” Counselling challenges this belief, creating pathways toward healthier connections with partners, family, and community.

Addressing Burnout

As the most overextended generation, Gen X often feels squeezed between caring for children, supporting adult kids who may still be at home, and tending to aging parents. Counselling provides strategies to manage this burnout, establish boundaries, and practice self-care without guilt.

Healing the Inner Child

Latchkey kids learned to suppress feelings of fear, sadness, or longing for support. Counselling invites them to reconnect with that inner child, offering the compassion and safety they may have missed in their early years.

Redefining Independence

True independence is not the absence of connection—it is the ability to choose interdependence with confidence. Counselling reframes independence, helping Gen X adults see that leaning on others is part of thriving.

Building Purpose in Midlife

As Gen Xers face midlife transitions, questions of “What now?” often surface. Therapy teaches tools for renewal, helping individuals discover meaning beyond work, roles, and responsibilities.

Common Themes We See at Empowered Life Counselling

At Empowered Life Counselling, clients from Generation X often arrive with similar stories—though each is unique in their details. Over time, we have noticed several recurring themes, shaped by their past as latchkey kids:

• “I don’t want to burden anyone with my problems.”
• “I feel invisible—at home, at work, even in my own family.”
• “I learned to take care of myself, but I don’t know how to let anyone in.”
• “I’ve been taking care of everyone else for years, and now I feel empty.”
• “I can’t shake this feeling of never being enough.”

These statements reveal how the latchkey imprint continues to affect relationships, self-worth, and overall well-being. Counselling allows clients to articulate these hidden beliefs, understand their origins, and replace them with healthier patterns.

A Path Toward Healing

Healing for Generation X isn’t about erasing independence or resilience—it’s about integrating those strengths with new ways of connecting, caring for oneself, and thriving in midlife and beyond.

In counselling, healing often unfolds in layers:

• Awareness: Recognizing how early experiences shape adult beliefs and behaviours.
• Compassion: Relearning self-kindness for the child who was asked to grow up too fast.
• Connection: Allowing oneself to rely on safe relationships, whether with a partner, family, or community.
• Renewal: Finding personal meaning after decades of self-reliance and role-focused living.

At Empowered Life Counselling, we believe that far from being “forgotten,” Generation X has within it the potential to lead in authenticity, resilience, and emotional intelligence—especially once the hidden wounds of being latchkey kids are acknowledged and healed.

Practical Benefits of Counselling for Gen X

Beyond the emotional healing, counselling offers practical, day-to-day benefits for Generation X adults:

• Improved communication skills in relationships.
• Greater ability to establish healthy boundaries.
• Enhanced stress and time management strategies.
• Tools for midlife transitions and identity exploration.
• Support with parenting styles that break intergenerational cycles.
• Guidance in balancing caregiving roles with personal well-being.

By seeking therapy, Gen Xers are not just healing themselves—they are modeling healthier emotional practices for their children and even their parents.

How Empowered Life Counselling Can Help

Our work at Empowered Life Counselling is client-centered, compassionate, and designed to meet you where you are. For Generation X and other adults who grew up as latchkey kids, we offer:

• Individual counselling to explore personal wounds and patterns in a private, supportive setting.
• Couples counselling to strengthen communication, intimacy, and partnership skills.

We also provide structured membership options, giving clients access to therapy at an affordable and sustainable pace. For many, this consistency helps establish counselling not as a “last resort,” but as a regular part of maintaining mental health and well-being.

An Invitation to the Forgotten Generation

At Empowered Life Counselling, we believe that no generation is truly forgotten. Yet we recognize the unique journey of Generation X and the quiet burdens you may still be carrying. Being a latchkey kid may have made you capable, strong, and resilient—but it may also have left you feeling unseen, unheard, and unsupported.

Counselling offers a space to rewrite that story. To honor the independent child you once were, to heal the adult you are becoming, and to leave a legacy of connection and compassion for those who follow.

It is never too late to be seen. It is never too late to be heard. And it is never too late to begin healing.

Final Thoughts: The Strength of Being Seen

Generation X—the latchkey kids—deserve recognition not as the forgotten middle child of history, but as a generation uniquely positioned for transformative healing. Through counselling, Gen X adults can harness their resilience while finally permitting themselves to be vulnerable, connected, and cared for.

At Empowered Life Counselling, we invite you to begin this journey with us. Together, we can explore the story of your past while building a future rooted in balance, connection, and empowerment.