Tonight lets withdraw from our memory banks – in the number of schoolyard sounds, joyous laughter, snickering, and children singing . . . ” Kissing in a tree .. K I S S I N G .. first comes love .. then comes marriage .. then comes Daddy with a baby carriage… ” A rosy childhood blush comes across a young boy’s face as his first crush runs across the playground toward the swing sets. A subtle embarrassment is quickly rushed away by the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach. Is it love? Possibly… Probably not.
Let’s be honest.. our first experiences with relationships generally are not the best. Awkward is a good adjective that comes to mind. Unsuccessful is also a highly accurate way in which to describe early year romances. Our first few attempts at wading into love are met with the stern punch of reality and a realization that relationships and human connections are not easily mastered. Some people never quite figure it out.
Present-day: we have all had our taste of life experiences over our two-plus decades of living. We have lived and learned. Fought and found a resolution. Lost and found friendship and have been in and out of a relationship or two. It is impossible to avoid all complications and struggles with our partner or spouse.. its inevitable.. you will disagree, bicker, and have a conversation or two in haste. But we can overcome all of these through open discussion and compromise. And when all of our own devices fail before ‘packing things in’ both partners should explore all resources because we do have options.
One great tool families can use to help heal and mend open wounds is family therapy. Therapy is a great treatment and family therapists are trained in helping broken people heal. Finding a therapist that fits your family’s needs is a great place to begin. Having a third party professional as an unbiased sounding/advice board can a lot of times be all you need to reconnect. But if things are a little more complicated, as most are, one session won’t be enough. There is no reason to be ashamed of seeking help and creating a healthy schedule of meeting with their therapist as needed.
With such a wide range of issues family and relationship are posed with so regularly, a professional who is educated in meeting these individual and group needs directly is often irreplaceable. Many family therapists are psychology driven and others who lead with a more religious foundation of practicing. Find the sessions that work and meet your needs best and I am sure you won’t be disappointed with where it leads you. Therapists can help you resolve issues, enabling you to spend more family traditions, life-events, and occasions together.
The “Top Ten Reasons Why You May Need Family Counseling” is a great dive into what a family is as a unit and what makes a healthy and unhealthy family dynamic. Take a few minutes and share it with a friend.. or better yet… share with your family!
