Therapy for Family Issues and Relationships

Whatever the family configuration, be it within a traditional nuclear family or, becoming more common, step-parenting or co-parenting or being a parent as part of a blended family . . . modern domestic set ups can be very complicated and can have many unique challenges and problems. Therapy for family issues and relationships and parenting challenges can help give you a perspective on the situation and address any issues that have arisen or that you anticipate might arise in the future.

What are Family Issues?

As you can imagine, what defines a ‘family’ and what issues and problems arise within different family set-ups, is vast.

You may be:

• A parent who is experiencing some problems with your child or children, whether they are young, adolescent or fully grown
• Thinking about, or going through, a certain stage of fostering, adoption or step children and managing the impact and effects this has on your family
• Experiencing empty nest syndrome and its effects on the family unit
• Coping with living with an adult child or children who can’t afford to leave home – and negotiating the shared living issues it causes
• An adult who feels continued issues surrounding your relationship with your parents, or are experiencing some long-term effects of early childhood issues
• Have elderly parents or relatives who may have become your dependants and are struggling with this transition
• Have blended family problems – communication, power struggles, resentment, negotiating ‘holidays or family celebrations’ … ‘who has the kids at Christmas?’
• Be a grandparent who feels that ‘too much’ support is being asked for . . . or the opposite . . . feel as though you do not take a big enough part in your grandchildren’s life
• You may be negotiating the troubles and challenges of divorce, separation, step parenting and lone parenting on the family
• Have issues arising out of a member of the family having a disability or becoming chronically ill and dependant
• Family issues that arise following a traumatic event – death of a family member, serious injury, rape or attack

As you can see, even from this small section . . .  Therapy for family issues encompasses all kinds of roles and scenarios that occur within family life.

What’s a ‘Normal’ family set-up?

There’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family! Each family unit, in whatever form that takes, is completely unique. Indeed, what you deem to be your family, will be a notion completely defined by you. In the same way, the scenarios, dynamics, problems and relationships that arise within your family will be varied and complicated and uniquely yours.

Having said this, you may feel, be wondering or worrying that what you’re experiencing and feeling about your family is strange or not normal. This is not the case. At the same time as being completely unique, your family and the problems experienced within your family are also normal.

Ideally, our families are a loving source of support and comfort. Of course, a family and relationships often provide those things.

However, all families, no matter how loving, close or supportive contain complicated dynamics, problems and scenarios. The relationships within them can also provide us with frustrations, stresses, hurt and guilt. From small ‘niggles’ to huge fights . . . To emotions we did not even know we felt . . . Families and the dynamics within them can cause strong reactions within us.

Counselling and Therapy for Family Issues and Relationships

Therapy for family issues, relationships and the challenges of parneting is a space where you can come, on your own, and discuss openly and confidentially the scenarios you are experiencing at home and how you feel about them.

It can help to relieve the symptoms that you are experiencing, to gain insight and understanding into your family relationship issues. You can examine thoughts and behaviours and work through confusing and painful times either in the present or in the past.

The impact your family is having on you and the range of emotions your feeling are all okay and can be addressed, can be challenged, changed and resolved.