Family Therapy
Family is like a box of chocolates…
You never know what you’re going to get!
And for some, you can’t live with them, and you can’t live without them!
With years of fights, conflicting opinions, and hurt, it may seem like nothing could put your family back together.
We love our families, but…
Sometimes they’re the hardest people to be around. And if you think about it, conflict is inevitable. With a family, there are so many personalities sharing one space!
But each personality or role is important and has a different influence on the family. What’s your part? Are you the peacekeeper who tries to keep things civil… or the one who shakes things up to make change… or something else?
When all these personalities intertwine, it can make for “colorful” interactions between family members. But “colorful” can become “toxic” when the conflict becomes too great. When that happens, communication usually breaks down, and family members ignore each other, yell, lash out, or call each other names.
And when that toxicity escalates into abuse, neglect, or intolerance, the family’s foundation will crumble.
Having a neutral party can make all the difference.
Families can become chaotic, and sometimes people aren’t always the nicest to each other.
Children may feel unheard or misunderstood by their parents.
Maybe parents don’t understand their son’s perspective, or your daughter won’t stop calling your son names.
As a family, you all may feel frustrated and confused about how to improve the family dynamic.
In therapy, you’ll learn to hear each other’s perspectives and learn how to interact with each other.
Building empathy through communication…
To understand others’ perspectives, you must hear what they’re saying! But when you slow down and open your mind enough to communicate your thoughts and feelings, you can see the family through their eyes and be more compassionate toward each other.
Showing mutual respect…
We don’t always agree, but we must be kind. Respect is something that is given to all ages. Parents’ behavior is the best way to model and teach children to show respect. All ages in the room will be given a voice and heard.
Connecting with kindness…
There’s nothing like hurtful words or stonewalling someone to make them feel disconnected. But kindness can restore that connection, and it’s easier to show kindness when you see and appreciate each other’s positive attributes.
Maintaining structure and boundaries…
They really do make the world go round! Families thrive with structure and boundaries. When families know and respect each other’s roles, children feel secure, and parents feel in control.
The Williams’ were a small family of four.
They didn’t understand each other – partly because they never attempted to see each other’s perspectives.
As you can imagine, fights were constant. The two daughters were at odds and felt their parents always took the other’s side.
But once they finally started talking and truly listening, they began to understand each other. The parents could then communicate with each other about their children’s needs, and the family was able to solve problems in a way without yelling or demeaning each other.
It’s time for your family to start hearing each other.
Communication, connection, kindness, and structure can be hard to balance and fine-tune, but your family has strengths just waiting to be recognized, and this work is worth the effort!
If your family needs more support or skills to foster connection and bring peace to your household, let’s talk more.
Call today at (562) 246-9606 or click the link below for a free 15-minute consultation.