Families are as unique as individuals. As personalities change and families go through life-trials, family dynamics can also change. Family counseling helps family units retain a sense of unity and wholeness through difficult times and periods of change.
Communication and Conflict Resolution
Effective communication is the most efficient problem solver. However, it’s easy for stressors and disagreements to get in the way of the communication needed for conflict resolution. Sitting down with a family counselor gives your family the space needed to share their concerns and issues with each other in a safe, confidential space, where everyone can be heard.
The skills taught through family counseling sessions don’t stop at the counselors’ door. Communication techniques and the developed sense of empathy for family members stay with you when you return home, creating a space where conflict resolution and communication can happen with ease.
Good communication strategies can make a world of difference. Counseling benefits families by teaching them how to actively listen to others and how to avoid language or topics that are sensitive to other family members. Counseling also covers non-verbal communication, teaching families how to find and respect boundaries and become aware of messages they are sending through body language.
Separating and Blending Families
Divorce and remarriage are stressful events for any of the involved parties, especially the children in a family. Each family member may react differently, and the presence of stepparents can be good for some but more difficult for others.
Family counseling can offer a sense of stability through the turbulent time of divorce. Even though there is a separation, this is the time for reaffirming the familial bonds between parent and child. The separation can be smoothed-out with good communication strategies and a solid sense of empathy for other family members.
Along with empathy, family counseling instills the need for unconditional love and positive attention. In a time of separation or the blending of two families, it benefits all to have a sense that they are loved, no matter what the situation is.
Dealing With Death
Death is an unfortunate and often unexpected occurrence that can tremendously shift family dynamics. Individuals are unique, and chances are that each family member will deal with their grief in a different way. Family counseling serves to bridge the gap between personal experiences to strengthen family bonds, allowing families to weather the bad times, together.
The death of an immediate family member can have a severe impact on the day-to-day life of a family. Changes in daily routines will take place, communication methods within the family will change, and family counseling offers guidance to the changing family unit.
Changing Family Dynamics
Individual roles in the family are often sources of conflict. Parents may feel that they are not respected, and children may feel like they are not being listened to. Sometimes, a shift in family boundaries and dynamics is needed to move forward as a healthy family.
Family counseling starts with the family as it currently is, figuring out where there is tension between members and working through it. Roles in the family might need to be redefined, and working together toward this purpose allows family members to look outside themselves and view the family as a unit.
Through counseling, disconnected families can learn to ask and receive help from others when they need it most. It isn’t always easy to know if you’re helping or harming a loved one, especially if tension already exists in the family.
Family Counseling In Broward County
Family counseling at Fifth Street Counseling Center is built around the family that needs us. Contact us today for a consultation at one of our Plantation, Miramar, or Pompano Beach offices and learn how we can help your family.
