Are You Feeling Exhausted, Overwhelmed or Frustrated Due to Issues in Your Family? 

Is your Family Dealing with a Recent Loss, Change or Disruption?

Do you Feel Misunderstood, Judged or Pressured by Members of Your Family?  

Families have a profound and enduring influence on its members, well into adulthood. One of the family’s most important functions is to provide its members with a stable base and the psychological tools to cope with the challenges of the external world. Many of us experience our greatest joys within healthy and stable families. When our families provide us with mutual caring, guidance and support we develop the confidence and relational skills to function more optimally in the world and build healthy and happy families of our own.  

Families are also multi-dimensional and complex, each with its unique challenges. Today the concept of family has expanded to include family compositions outside the traditional nuclear family. These changes in family composition, along with the multiple challenges experienced by families in our modern age, partially account for the growing numbers of families opting to seek family therapy.

Family therapy, or family counselling, is a specialized form of psychotherapy that addresses a wide range of issues affecting the overall health and functioning of a family unit.  In family therapy, a trained therapist works with the whole or parts of a family to promote understanding, foster collaboration and address challenges. Healthy change, in one or more parts of a family often has a positive impact on the functioning of the whole unit

Family counseling can be useful in any family situation involving stress, grief, anger or conflict. It can help you and your family members:

• Have fun together

• Develop a deeper sense of trust

• Become more confident and self-assured

• Develop closer and more harmonious relationships

• Uncover and develop strengths you can use  in rough times

• Learn skills to help family members manage conflict

No family is perfect! All families will, at some point, encounter difficulties that strain familial relationships and impair functioning. Conflict and disharmony likely result when healthy family functioning breaks down. Family therapy is useful for families that are facing all kinds of difficulties and experiences such as:

• A recent or historic traumatic event

• Major life transitions, (e.g.  separation/divorce, relocation)

• Mental health and addiction issues

• Unexpected or traumatic loss of a family member, (e.g. death, suicide)

• A new family member, (e.g. new baby, adoptive or foster child, grandparent)

• Family conflict

• Divorce, separation

• Acculturation and settlement issues, (e.g. new immigrants)

• Communication problems

• Family reintegration or reunification therapy

• Adoption issues

Although families have inherent strengths and resources to addresses these challenges, some require additional support. Seeking help for your family is an important step in the right direction.

Seeking family counseling is not a sign of failure or defeat. It is an important step toward building a healthy and resilient family. Our therapists at Counselling Associates work with families of all shapes, sizes and structures to promote growth, provide relief and foster healing.

If your family is facing a challenging issue or difficult transition, it may be time to consider engaging the services of a Counselling Associates therapist.