Finding a New Path

Family relationships are an important part of our psychological health. In family counseling, (sometimes called family therapy), we work with families to change and nurture their intimate relationships. Family therapy isn’t only about resolving conflict. It can also be a way to enhance your existing relationships.

Helps Your Family Communicate More Effectively

With the wake of smart devices and entertainment systems, most people turn to their gadgets, televisions and smartphones, when stressed or facing a problem. This is more like running away from, or hiding from your problems which only makes other members of the family concerned and maybe stressed. Nonetheless, understanding how to cope with certain problems, and facing them head on without turning a blind eye to the other family members prevents a chronically unhappy family.

Its common that most members of the family find it very difficult at being open to each other. This tends to create distance and disconnection between members thus paving the way for much bigger problems in the future. Nonetheless, a family counsellor can help all the family members understand their roles in the family, and also show them the benefits of open and honest communication.

If a member of the family is suffering from a disability all members would be going through their own process about this and own loss feelings which can easily fragment the family unit. Nevertheless, a counselling session for all members can help to ‘break the ice’ and enable them to understand each other positively without creating conflicts.

Builds Better Self Esteem Among Family Members

We all need healthy self-esteem to be able to cope with major life challenges and be able to cope well in the community.  Most of the people who grow, or live, without self-esteem are vulnerable to peer pressure, interpersonal problems and health problems. If the parents lack motivation and self-esteem, there is a higher likelihood that their children will suffer from the same. 

A family therapist should be able to restore this and enable both the parents and children to know and understand each other thus feelings better about themselves and their value in the community. In this way, the unit will live a more positive life hence increase their chances of succeeding in life.

Strengthens Relationships Within the Family

Most siblings have their conflicts at times and depending on the nature of them, if they go unresolved it can seriously harm the connection in the family. Sometimes siblings develop jealousy on one another, and could be fighting for attention among many other things.

It is easy for parents to fail to understand these children or invalidate the significance, hence raising children with unresolved feelings. Nonetheless, seeing a family counsellor should help you understand your children much better, and know how to express feelings and bring them together.

In addition to this, bringing the siblings along during the session should also help them understand each other and settle their differences.  This is one of the most important of all the 7 family counseling benefits.

Dealing With Health Issues Within the Family

Being relaxed and at peace is important for mental and physical health. Peace, however, comes when everyone understands each other, and are willing to work as a team. As long as there ís someone to listen to your woes and help you whenever possible, then all family members will enjoy more harmony.

Most people however need to understand their spouses and children with some helpful facilitation; with the help of a family and a marriage counsellor, your family will be helped to identify certain problems and know how to handle them in a constructive adult way.

Premarital Counseling Can Establish Healthy Ways of Resolving Conflict

Most children pick up messages and beliefs based on what they see on the television, their friends, and even what they see with their children. Family therapists and marriage counsellors relate this to the many family breakups and divorce being seen in this era. Nonetheless, families that had or have sessions with professional counsellors before problems become too severe are able to address and improve and reconnect together.

Divorce Counseling

At Happy Brain Counseling we offer Divorce Mediation for families that are in the process of separating. Divorce counseling is something slightly different. Whereas mediation sets up new boundaries and establishes ways to communicate within the new dynamic, divorce counseling is more about the healing process that follows divorce. 

Divorce is one of the biggest nightmares for most family units and those involved. Although some people may have valid reasons to divorce (such as infidelity), others choose to divorce simply because they don’t understand one another anymore and have disconnected for too long. This could be due to a financial stressors, a build up of problems and ultimately a reluctance to understand the other.

Nonetheless, seeing family or a marriage counsellor can save your family. The counsellor will be able to identify possible reasons why there are misunderstandings and conflicts in the family, and help you resolve and heal them. 

This can save your family unit and often make it stronger. Nonetheless, if one member wants to go on with the divorce, the counsellor prepares all the members involved into accepting the circumstances and be able to adjust in a healthy way.

Summary

As mentioned earlier, every family deals with various problems, some of which turn out messy if none of the family members knows how to handle them.  With proper training and experience on how to deal with family problems, you will be able to deal with certain problems without causing any ongoing distress in the family. In this way, your family unit will be able to develop new and helpful ways of being and relating to each other.