Family Therapy

I have found the dynamics of the family to be quite revealing in the therapy room. A client who may be just be coming out of their shell and improving in self esteem can become another person when the family is together. The person may withdraw into their self place. A woman who is quiet and submissive can become quite the matriarch in the family setting. Soft and passive in public can become quite controlling and demanding in the family therapy room. Family therapy can be quite beneficial for those who are having difficulties and need improvement in communication skills with their families and understanding of each other. People come from different experiences and raise their children as they think is best which is usually either the same as they were treated or completely the opposite or various degrees of their own learning experiences. Any form of abuse is not acceptable and can do much damage. Sometimes one seeks family therapy because one wants to reveal something to their family in a controlled environment. Sometimes, parents have difficulty understanding their offsprings because their child is so unlike them. Sometimes one child may be sensitive and creative while the other members are not and there is nothing wrong with this child whatsoever. However, because the one is different from the other siblings, than they think it is him or her. How often had I had a teen who was brilliant and more intelligent than the parents and therefore, there is difficulty understanding the young person. Sometimes there is a child with special needs and there is frustration in dealing with this. Sometimes one child or more can be more like the parents and therefore the one who is independent may be considered a rebel or worse when there is just a difference and nothing more. A book I love to recommend is Family Ties That Binds - A self-help guide to change through Family of Origin therapy, by Dr. Ronald W. Richardson. It is a easy read. If there is discord in your family, perhaps it is time to see a family therapist.