Parents and kids, siblings, extended family-- all of these relationships can benefit from family counseling at varying times of our lives. Even when we are working hard to maintain a positive bond with a family member, there can be set-backs. When they occur we may need the support of an objective person with the experience and training to help us reach a new level in our relationship. Set-backs can happen when our children mature to a new stage in their lives, necessitating a need to learn new ways to relate to each other and feel connected. Set-backs can also happen following changes in family situations such as deployments, moving to a new city, the birth or adoption of a new child, a stay-at-home parent going back to work, or when a family experiences separation or divorce.
Counseling at the family level provides a safe space for all involved to learn to listen and to also feel heard. It allows for new ways to problem solve and to understand each other. Interactive techniques are used to allow for age-appropriate participation and to decrease the chances of children feeling exclusively "talked at" or "talked about". Families can also learn new ways to have fun together and new ways to show mutual respect.
The Nurtured Heart Approach is an excellent way to aid families in improving the ways they communicate about the positives they see in each other, to highlight our strengths, and to develop healthy and consistent rules and limits to help children thrive.