5 Issues that Need to Be Addressed in Family Counseling

Family counseling is an indelible asset to any family. Not only does it support each member, but it may also allow a safe space for both parents and children to express themselves freely.

Children, especially at a young age, may not be able to express themselves freely in the home. However, the counselor provides a third-party mediator that allows the child, after visiting with the counselor one-on-one, to be able to express their issues and their pain. Counseling will enable children to express their emotions and have their feelings validated but also prevent parents from gaslighting, blaming, or denying the behavior.

Five Issues in Family Counseling

Families, no matter how hard they try to be healthy, may have issues that must be resolved. Here are five problems that need to be addressed in family counseling:

Abuse

Regardless of its severity, any abuse needs to be resolved. Abuse should never be tolerated, no matter the form or the severity. A family counselor may be the best bet to allow those issues to be addressed. Emotional abuse is challenging to detect. Additionally, parents may downplay or even dismiss emotional abuse because it is more widely accepted than other forms of abuse, such as sexual or physical abuse.

If the abused person is a spouse, the spouse can not only speak freely and see if they can get the abuse resolved, but they can also lean on the counselor for resources and even shelter if needed. The family counselor is a mandatory reporter and must report any abuse.

Therefore, if they have clients that they know have been abused, they can get the authorities involved without the spouse or children having to do with themselves. This will help the children and spouse feel safe, and the abuser can come to terms with their behavior.

Sexual abuse is the most severe form of abuse and may take a while to unpack. Sometimes, sexual abuse can be generational, spanning several generations. Sexual abuse is also much more challenging to pinpoint because it is much more difficult to prove. Having said this, making the abuse come to light may be all that’s needed to get the abused victim the help they need. It will also allow the victim the freedom to be able to speak openly about the abuse.

Simply getting it out in the open and processing the emotions can lift a heavy weight for someone. Getting them additional help, such as private counseling sessions or even an opportunity to speak to an authority if the abuse is recent, might be a big help to a family.

Infidelity

Infidelity can wreak havoc on all members of the family. When one spouse has been unfaithful to the other, it profoundly impacts the family. Anger and resentment can build up, causing the couple to fight constantly. This may cause emotional trauma to the children. Children may be unable to process it, so they withhold their emotions.

Getting a family together in a session may allow the parents to hear from the children and the children to hear from the parents. All parties must be heard. Although the parents may not want to speak about the infidelity openly in front of the children, they can at least talk about the impact this has had on the family.

A family counselor can also brainstorm ways and exercises for the family to heal. This may mean asking questions, having difficult conversations, etc. It may allow the family to open up and begin communicating about difficult subjects.

Trauma

Any traumatic event, such as a fire, crime, etc., needs to be discussed with the family counselor. A family counselor can help each party express their emotions about the traumatic event. Children especially need to speak about these things as it may cause them to have nightmares and other fears that they may suppress and not communicate with their parents.

Parents may also have fears but not want to show them to their kids. Going to family counseling may allow each party to be vulnerable and speak openly about their emotions. Emotions may be difficult to communicate and process within a family unit, so a family counselor is trained to help them deal with their feelings appropriately. Family counselors will also help families communicate using ‘I’ statements and will not allow character assassination or attack.

Character attacks often occur when fear, anger, or sadness are not addressed appropriately. This can cause children or parents to lash out inappropriately. These outbursts may communicate that they want safety or love, but the victim may not know how to communicate that properly. Family counselors will allow a person to speak without being interrupted, express their feelings and not downplay them, and acknowledge behaviors rather than dismiss or ignore them.

Mental Health Issues

Mental health issues are on the rise. Anxiety and depression have skyrocketed since COVID. Anxiety and depression that have gone unchecked can lead to more destructive behaviors such as suicidal ideations, possible assault, delusions, schizophrenia, and other mental health disorders that can wreak havoc on a family. Family counselors are trained to help them deal with situations.

A family counselor may also be able to seek the help of psychiatrists or refer them to other professionals who might be able to prescribe medication or allow an actual diagnosis to take place. This is helpful for families as medication and therapy exercises can be helpful both to the person suffering from mental health disorders as well as the family that it’s impacting.

Mental health issues can turn into violent episodes or a general feeling of unease for fear of their safety being jeopardized. A family counselor who’s been made aware of this can contact authorities and set up evaluations with psychiatrists if necessary.

Transitions/Grief

Grief is a powerful emotion that is difficult to process. Grief can come in many forms. The death or loss of a child, for example, may leave parents feeling hopeless and may destroy their marriage. A family counselor can help a couple deal with their loss plus help them to love the other children in the family.

Empty nest syndrome and other factors may make significant transitions difficult for families to process alone. Sometimes, the best thing a family counselor can offer a family is encouragement to hear their feelings validated and let them know that they are not alone and that they’re not the only ones who deal with difficult situations such as these.

It can be helpful for a family’s health and well-being. Because counseling is not as stigmatized as it once was, many families may reap the benefits of counseling. Even the death of a grandparent who was close to the family can be something a family may need to be able to process.

Any significant losses or major transitions, such as a move, may also be something a family counselor may want to deal with. Children may deal with fear and anger over having to move, and new situations may cause them additional fear of rejection or embarrassment.

Kids needing to go to new schools may need a family counselor to help them deal with how to transition into a new school environment healthily. Grief, when unprocessed, can lead to depression and anxiety, among other issues. Enlisting the help of a family counselor may benefit a family during these difficult times.

Counseling provides many benefits to families. No matter what your family is going through, consider seeking help from a professional. A family counselor may be able to express ideas and concepts in ways that you have not thought of before.

You may find you can replace sadness, grief, and despair with hope, restoration, and healing and be on your way to a healthy, thriving family dynamic. To set up your first appointment with a family counselor at our office, call our reception team today.