Have you ever sat in a room such as where the words are band aids, healing bruised family bonds. That sacred space where family therapy had always been: every sigh, murmur, and unshed tear counts. It is where families locate a patient ear, entangled in their own stories. Have you ever solved a Rubik’s cube blindfolded? Sometimes, families can be like that when there are high emotions and misunderstandings build up like a Jenga tower on a wobbly table. And here in enters the family therapist. Read more now on Relationship counseling
Grandma never stops dwelling on old grudges; why? However, what is it that causes your teenage son to slam the door as if it personally offended him? As a family therapist, a neutral perspective and insightful questions are helpful as a family therapist walks thru these storms with umbrella in hand. Family sessions tend to become story telling arenas. “We remember the time when Dad pretty much tried to turn our camping trip into a reality TV survival show.” It breaks a tense silence in someone. It bubbles up into laughter, the atmosphere changes and bonds firm up.
Family therapy is like a patchwork quilt: each patch is a narrative of a person’s life sewn into one giant masterpiece. The experience is stitched by these patches, sometimes roughly, sometimes tightly or loosely woven by common history. “Why does it always come to shouting when we eat dinner?” is a puzzle many confront. Often the solution is right under their noses and uncovered by the unprejudiced spotlight of therapy.
Challenges are aplenty. The word ‘compromise’ makes someone turn mute; another might roll there eyes at the ‘communication’ mantra. But there is magic in these rooms. The first half of the healing is asking the uncomfortable questions. The other half is based on a willingness to listen, be understood and to know, and accept each other’s quirks and TW – tiny weirdnesses.
Take humor as an ally. Anything but a light-hearted joke will change the room temperature better than any climate control system. Aunt Mira’s infamous puns could make an encore in heated debates, spreading smiles. “Why should the scarecrow win an award?” Laughing, she breaks tension like paper-thin, and he was outstanding in his field.
There are no magic wands but family therapy of any kind builds resilience better than any other type of therapy. But like all figures and stats, ripples in the ocean of the personal experiences and transformative journeys. Dancing in the rain is about it and not about waiting for the storm to pass. Family therapist is not a title; it’s the accompaniment in the dance of a family to prevent a fall.