Over the past few decades, the world has developed at an unprecedented rate, reaching unimaginable heights. However, with this fast-paced growth, every part of life has become more competitive, whether it’s the professional race to succeed faster than everyone else at a younger age or the constant comparison between your life and others’ picture-perfect worlds as portrayed on social media.
Regardless, the result is that people are living more stress-filled lives, with little time and stamina left to focus on the things that matter, i.e., family and relationships.
Chances are, your personal life has also fallen victim to this sad state. However, it’s not too late. You can still recover and rebuild your relationships with dedicated time and effort. A good starting point is to see a family counselor.
What is Family Counseling?
Family counseling is a specialized group therapy focused on resolving conflicts between family members. A family counselor is a silent mediator who allows all concerned parties to express their grievances and helps them understand each other’s needs and actions.
If you feel that you and any family members have grown apart or are having trouble moving past something, you shouldn’t think twice about opting for family counseling.
What do Family Counselors do?
Family counseling is a fast-growing field. Considering the complex nature of work and the qualifications required, the annual family counselor salary can reach close to USD 70,000/-. to effectively resolve them.
To become a family therapist, you must hold a post-graduate degree in family/marriage therapy and complete the required fieldwork before applying for the certification/license to practice.
Family counselors see the family members as a group and, through observation and analysis, assess the individual characteristics of each person. This is essential for a family counselors as they must understand the disputes/grievances among family members.
When Should I See a Family Counselor?
Therapy/counseling is a big step, and if you’re going through a difficult time as a family, it is unlikely that the idea of counseling would be your first thought. However, speaking to a family counselor can help you understand each other and also help you heal from the pain and/or trauma brought on by the tragedy/conflicts.
If you identify within any of the below scenarios, don’t delay seeking the services of a family counselor any longer.
- A Family Tragedy
Tragedies have a strange way of affecting those surrounding them. Sometimes, loss and pain bring people together and help them connect as a coping mechanism.
Other times, however, when a family experiences loss, many people tend to shut themselves down to avoid dealing with the pain. As a consequence, loved ones tend to find themselves isolated from each other.
If your family has recently experienced a loss, such as the death of a loved one, a miscarriage, abandonment, etc., you should see a family counselor.
The only tragedy worse than the loss already experienced by you and your loved ones would be your family growing apart in this difficult time. Seek professional help and rebuild your family.
- Mental Instability or Substance Abuse
They say no profession is more difficult than mental health professionals as they deal with people suffering from intense depression and other chronic mental issues. If that is true, one can only imagine how difficult it would be to live with those suffering from mental/emotional problems or substance abuse.
People with such problems are often unpredictable, hypersensitive, and tend to resort to violence towards themselves or others. When one family member suffers from such a disease or addiction, it often causes great damage to relationships between family members and the unit as a whole.
If you or someone in your family identifies as such a person, the most important thing is for you or that person to get psychological help. However, it is as important for the remaining family members to join that person in family counseling to recover from the damage and become a healthy, loving family unit.
- Infidelity
For any husband or wife, one of the worst fears imaginable is to find out your spouse has been unfaithful. The way infidelity breaks a relationship is like no other damage.
The confrontation usually ends the same way. One spouse is drowning in guilt over their actions, begging for another chance, while the other sits blind with anger and pain, blaming themselves out of insecurity.
Dealing with such a situation is an unimaginable trauma that is extremely hard to get through. However, there are certain cases where the love between partners is enough for them to want to move past the cheating. Since the relationship between spouses is extremely fragile at such a point, and both sides are experiencing immense pain, family counseling is crucial.
Without professional guidance on how to overcome such a painful experience healthily, it is unlikely for a couple to find their way out. Hence, if you’ve unfortunately found yourself in this situation, you must see a family counselor.
- Blending of Two Families
A less tragic but equally important instance where you should opt for family counseling is if your family has recently been united with another through marriage. Perhaps you and your partner have decided to move in together or get married, and your kids are forced to tow along.
In such situations, children are likely to develop hostile feelings toward one another. If you have recently undergone such a family ‘fusion’, check in with your kids, and if you think they are unhappy, perhaps family counseling will do you and your entire family some good.
After all, real life is not like a movie where everyone finds their way to end up on the same page by the end. If there are conflicts in your situation, you must address them before it gets out of hand.
Final Words
The idea that therapy/counseling is only for deeply troubled or traumatized individuals or groups is a myth. The pressures of today are enough for families to find it difficult to understand each other, that too for no particular reason.
Therefore, for the love and affection you hold in your heart for your family, take a step towards recovery together before it gets too late. After all, family is the only real wealth in this world.