If you watch cable television, the dysfunctional family seems to be the norm for society. These are families that, under normal real-world situation, would require family therapy. There are various reasons a family would not function in a normal manner.
When seeking family counseling here in Westport, it is important that the participants are open and can discuss things freely in front of a professional.
Technology and the Family
The art of talking to one another has largely been lost since the advent of television. More and more, families have been spending more time not talking to one another. The communication skills necessary to function in society is slowly disappearing.
These are the same skills required to communicate feelings after a traumatic event. Stress can come in the form of a divorce, a death in the family, bankruptcy and other financial crises, medical illness, and others.
During these times, family members nowadays retreat into their own worlds instead of reaching out to other family members.
Brief Therapy
There is a misconception that family therapy takes a long time. Along with this mistaken belief is the myth that medication is better and faster to resolve a person’s problems. There are plenty of reasons family therapy has a bad reputation.
For instance, parents believe that they will be blamed for problems within the family or with a child. They are afraid that they will look bad in front of a stranger, which is a big blow to their self-esteem. The therapist has to assuage these fears and explain that the sessions are not to blame anyone.
Therapy is a way to move forward. A brief 7-session therapy can be beneficial to the family.
Therapy is a healing process where family members can cooperatively approach the issues and stressors. It is the job of the therapist to work in collaboration with the parents and family members as a team working on their issues and problems.
