WHAT IS FAMILY COUNSELLING FOR ?
Families can nourish us with an amazing support system and provide us with a deep sense of security, love and stability but by the same token, relationships can become strained with individuals feeling a sense of disconnection and isolation.
Family Counselling can feel like a life saver, whether it’s learning to adjust to the teenage years, divorce, separation or coming to terms with a loss.
Modern families come in many shapes and sizes, all with their own unique set of challenges. What most share is a desire to connect to one another in a meaningful way.
I have extensive experience, both professionally and personally, of the challenges of forming new families and relationships. Separation and divorce occurs to about 40-50% of us, we need a good set of tools and skills to learn how to negotiate new and demanding situations, both for ourselves and family members.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Family Counselling can produce quick and effective results. Each member will be given the opportunity to be heard and encouraged to say how they feel within a safe and supportive environment.
I will be paying attention to styles of communication within the family, noting the main issues and areas of conflict and considering ways you can improve the situation and move forward.
Often parents and carers are astonished at how much their children have bottled things up.
I believe that children are hard-wired to protect their parents from anything that may be upsetting (although this may be hard to believe at times!) this encourages communication which may not be direct or helpful, with resulting acting out and difficult behaviour.
The Benefits
Family Counselling can help untangle the web of negative and complex communication that may have occurred. This allows each family member to fell happier and more fulfilled within the structure. Children develop ideas about positive communication, which are essential for healthy relationships, whilst parents and carers have a chance to develop a deeper understanding of one another which in turn can bring down levels of conflict.