All relationships face hardships and rough patches, no matter the situation. When it comes to family relationships, it can be a bit more complex.
Family Types
A family is a group of two or more people and at least one child. A traditional family has two parents along with their children, but this is not always the case. Some families are blended after divorce and remarrying, and children are from previous relationships. Families can also only consist of one parent and children, due to death of a spouse or separation. Then there are larger families consisting of older generations living with newer, creating a combined household. The definition of family is what you make it, but stressors will always remain present and dealing with them will help build a stronger bond.
Familial Hardships
As family members evolve, your home may become less of a place of comfort and more of a place of stress. You have a strong love for your children and your spouse, but it isn’t out of the ordinary to feel a rift between members as the years progress. This can occur due to the addition of a new child, a relocation, aging, or a death in the household. Whether the change is positive or negative, change brings discomfort to people by nature. Losing your typical everyday routine can be disruptive, and everyone who lives with you will notice. Mood changes between children can become an adjustment for parents who haven’t experienced teen or pre-teen years before, and a new baby will rock the boat for any family dynamic. A family grieving a loved one will most definitely require a healing period, which can cause members to become closed off.
How Counseling Can Help
Counseling for families can help them start fresh and can help them learn how to interact with one another more effectively. Between work, school, and extracurricular activities, communication can start to fall behind within a household. Therapy sessions will be spent learning new strategies on how to reinstate communication as a priority. In meeting together, the family unit is seen as the ‘patient’. The individuals that make up the family are considered members of this unit. Noting the unhealthy patterns will benefit each member, helping them feel heard and seen. Acknowledging a familial relationship issue is not always easy to do, but it is what must be done to rebuild a strong foundation. You love your family and wanting change within the household isn’t wrong. It is okay to admit there could be toxicity, and finding the courage to solve it is something all families should do. Allow yourself to open up to your spouse and your children, it could change the course of how things play out in the future.
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