Counselling
FAMILY COUNSELING
“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” — George A. Moore.
STAGES OF THE FAMILY LIFE CYCLE
| Stage | Emotion | Stage Critical Tasks |
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1.Unattached adult |
Accepting parent-offspring separation |
a) Differentiation from family origin. |
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b) Development of peer relations. |
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c) Initiation of career. |
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2.Newly married |
Commitment to the marriage |
a) Formation of the marital system.
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b) Making room for a spouse. |
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c) Adjusting career demands. |
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3.Childbearing |
Accepting the new personality |
a) Adjusting to the specific needs of the child.
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b) Copying with energy drain & lack of privacy |
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c) Taking time out to be a couple. |
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4. Pre-school age child |
Accepting the new personality |
a) Adjusting to the specific needs of the child. |
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b) Coping with energy drain and lack of privacy. |
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c) Taking time out to be a couple. |
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5. School age child |
Allowing children to establish relationships outside the family |
a) Extending family/ society interactions. |
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b) Encouraging the child’s educational progress. |
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c) Dealing with increased activities. |
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6. Teenage child |
Increasing flexibility of family boundaries to allow independence |
a) Shifting the balance in the parent-child relationship |
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b) Refocusing on mid-life career and marital issues |
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c) Dealing with increasing concerns for the older generation. |
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7. Launching center |
Accepting exits from and entries into the family |
a) Releasing adult children into college, work, & marriage |
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b) Maintaining a supportive home base. |
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c) welcoming children’s spouses. |
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8. Middle aged adult |
Letting go of children and facing each other. |
a) Rebuilding the marriage |
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b) Welcoming grandchildren into the family. |
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c) Dealing with the aging or demise of one's parents. |
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9. Retirement |
Accepting retirement and old age |
a) Maintaining individual and couple functioning. |
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b) Supporting middle generation. |
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c) Coping with the death of parents or spouse. |
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d) Closing or adapting the family home. |
Families serve as support pillars, offering encouragement and love through life’s ups and downs. Yet, relationships can encounter difficulties as families progress through different stages, leaving individuals disconnected or overlooked. However, by recognizing these challenges and seeking assistance through family counseling can make the journey smoother, more fulfilling, and stronger.
In every conceivable manner, the family is a link to our past, bridge to our future.”— Alex Haley
Family counseling is a form of group psychotherapy that broadly defines “family” as a group of individuals who share care and identify as a family. This can include various configurations such as parents and children, partners, extended relatives, friends, caregivers, and even professionals close to the group.
The primary objective of family counseling is to foster mutual understanding and support among all family members. Moreover, this therapeutic approach proves beneficial in scenarios where families grapple with feelings of overwhelm, sadness, anger, uncertainty about the future, or cycles of harmful behaviors.
Family counseling aims to facilitate communication, improve relationships, and equip families with the tools to navigate challenges effectively. Additionally, it promotes healing and growth by providing a safe and supportive environment where all members can share their concerns and perspectives.
It can be used to help couples or entire families deal with a wide range of problems, including-
- Communication difficulties
- Parenting challenges
- Marital conflict
- Family crises
- Addiction
- Mental health issues
Family counseling can help when siblings aren’t getting on, or parents and children are going through a divorce or separation. Forming a new family is a challenge, and at this point, many parents contact us for support to help everyone settle down. Or maybe your found family is looking to implement some new rituals and wants some guidance.
Therapy can help with situations such as:
- Adjusting to a new life change (like moving) or a medical condition.
- Changes & challenges that come with aging.
- Death or grief.
- Relationship conflicts, such as parent-child conflict or sibling conflict.
During a family therapy session, therapists may talk with the family as a group, as individuals, or as a combination.
A typical therapy session is around 50 to 55 minutes once per week.
The number of family counseling sessions depends on various factors, such as why a family is seeking help and whether family members participate during therapy
The benefits of counseling vary from family to family but can include:
- Developing healthy boundaries
- Improving communication
- Defining someone’s role within the family
- Improving family dynamics and relationships
- Providing strength and coping tools for family members
- Addressing dysfunctional interactions
- Improving the family’s problem-solving abilities.
According to a 2020 study, families might find therapy useful to address the following:
- difficulty communicating or expressing emotions
- conflicts between siblings
- inconsistent parenting
- marital problems
- developing a functional and healthy relationship following a divorce
- adapting to a major change
- dealing with a chronic illness or death in the family