Family Therapy Camberwell

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/1″][dt_fancy_title title=”Family Therapy” title_align=”left” title_size=”h2″ title_color=”default” title_bg=”disabled” separator_color=”default” el_width=”100″ separator_style=”disabled”][dt_gap height=”20″][vc_column_text]What is a ‘Family’?

The traditional model of the nuclear family is no longer adequate to define what family means today. Family means different things to different people: families may span several generations, several households, and may change or morph in response to life events. It is perhaps easier to define a family not by what it looks like but by what it does – what families have in common is that they are caring, supporting, protecting and loving.

Every family has its own ‘personality’, culture and flavour. This family ‘template’ and its patterns of communication are unique and are a mix made up of many elements including the characters of the family members. When problems occur within this family unit they affect all the family members. Everyone is impacted.

 

Is Your Family Functioning or Does it Need Help?

Whatever their exact make-up, all families encounter problems.  A functioning family isn’t a family without conflict. It’s a family that deals with conflict effectively. Strangely enough, an example of functioning family relationships can be seen in the TV Series, ‘The Addams Family’.  As crazy as this family is, each member is embraced for their individuality and their differences are accepted and encouraged.

Some qualities to consider when evaluating how well your own family is functioning are:

• Is there ample humour and fun within your family?
• Does your family have rules that have been clearly stated and are evenly applied, yet flexible?
• Are the family’s expectations of each person reasonable, realistic, mutually agreed upon and generally fulfilled?
• Do family members achieve most of their individual goals, and are their personal needs being met?
• Do parents and children have genuine respect for one another, love, caring, trust, and concern, even when there are disagreements?
• Is your family able to mature and change without everyone getting upset or unhappy?

Some signs that things aren’t working are:

• If there is a ‘black sheep’, the ‘bad apple’, or a scapegoat in the family.
• If opposing mini-alliances or sub-groups are formed within the family.
• If there is parental conflict. Even though parents try to hide their problems, children inevitably pick up that something is wrong.
• If all the children seem happy and well-adjusted except one. If one child is ‘acting up’ there are usually reasons for this that connect with the entire family and its dynamics.
• If one parent feels the need to constantly side with the children against the other parent.
• The one parent cannot interact freely with the children without the interference of the other parent.

 

How can Family Therapy Help?

Essentially, family therapy helps family members find more constructive ways to organize, function, interact, get along and help each other. If you decide to see a family therapist, you can rest assured that the counsellor won’t take sides. Our therapist will work to help all family members open up and feel heard. Everyone gets the chance to share how things look and feel for them. Then together you can create new ways forward that work for everybody.

There are many proven benefits of counselling for the whole family. First, family therapy can improve or resolve the problem which originally brought your family to therapy. There are also side-benefits which will help you function better in the future. Communication and harmony will increase. Old automatic reactions and patterns can shift. You and your family can grow into greater insight, understanding and empathy for each other.

 

For more information visit www.relationshipmatters.com.au

 

Meet our Family Therapist!

At The Studio, our experienced and highly skilled family therapist has helped many families function better through life’s challenges and transitions.[/vc_column_text][dt_gap height=”40″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][dt_teaser type=”uploaded_image” image_id=”1353″ target=”blank” style=”1″ content_size=”normal” text_align=”left” background=”no” animation=”none”]

Kim Bailey

Couples Counsellor, Family Therapist & Psychotherapist

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