Heal your family
Family relationships can all come under strain from time to time.
Families are small communities. They are ‘systems’ operating in the wider system of local communities which all together make up society. Modern day society can be challenging to families what with the pressure of the cost of living leading to some young people staying in the home for many years longer than in previous generations.
A family is a system where communication problems can easily occur and there can be clashes of conflict between different generations. What might seem a life and death matter to a teenager may seem irrelevant to the parent and equally vice versa.
Family dynamics are complex and problems can occur when a particular event causes upheaval and requires adjustment within the family. Or it could be that one member of the family experiences a crisis and this might have a big impact on the family. Redundancy, bereavement, school exclusion, illness, substance abuse and criminal conviction are very likely to affect all members of a family.
Families are frequently blended step families, where several individuals may feel that they are not heard or properly understood.
Family therapy can help a family through a difficult period by exploring the dynamics within the group.
Children can be experiencing difficulties and these could be mental, physical, emotional or behavioural.
A child’s behaviour may well be a definite problem for the parents. However, it is the therapist’s job to look at the functioning of the family because a problem does not usually exist in isolation but has arisen within the context of previous interactions.
Children learn how to have relationships from the family they are born or adopted or fostered into. If we improve the communication and connection in the family, then we help the children to develop good relationships in their adult lives.
Family therapy can help all members of a family to be heard and understood so that boundaries become more clear, communication, and empathy is developed and conflict and anger is reduced.
Family therapy in essence, allows a family to heal.
