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There is so much truth to the saying that family is the most basic unit of society. That said, it must function effectively in order to foster a healthy relationship within the community to which it belongs. If a family constantly moves and lives within a circle of negative emotions or problems, it might be time to consider family therapy.
Contrary to popular belief, family therapy isn’t as daunting as it seems. Many myths have been wrongly propagated about the idea of getting family therapy when, in fact, therapists and counselors, such as those from Psychologists Southern Sydney, have no other objective but to work hand in hand with parents, children, and other family members to help them solve whatever is preventing their relationship from being a healthy one. This article presents you with some of the myths about family therapy that might have held you back from seeing one:
- Family therapy means that you’ve failed as a parent.
Opening up to family therapy doesn’t mean that you’ve failed as a parent. On the contrary, it only goes to show that, as a parent, you care about all the members of the family enough to get professional help instead of letting the opportunity slip by, and risk your family breaking apart or being unable to ever resolve your problems.
Remember that no family is perfect, and opening up and accepting that you need help requires a lot of courage. Family therapists have the skills and expertise that you may not have, hence it is always to the family’s benefit to receive advice and aid from a professional. As the African proverb goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” This means that you, as a parent, do not have to be alone in facing whatever challenges your family may have.
- Family therapy sessions cannot treat mental illnesses.
It is false to think that family therapy sessions cannot treat mental illnesses. Yes, they can. Family therapy can help each member solve and face any psychological, emotional, or mental health issues they may be struggling with. With the help of family therapy, your children or any other member of the family have a higher chance of opening up instead of suffering in silence when they talk to a therapist.
It is usually the case that those struggling with personal problems, especially mental illnesses, will not readily open up even to their family because they might be too shy, or are even scared due to the stigma attached to mental illnesses. However, with a trained professional like a family therapist, they can feel more assured that the therapist will offer them unbiased opinions and objective assessments of their situation.
- Family therapy sessions will only pull you farther apart as a family.
One of the most common misconceptions about family therapy is that every session will be noisy, messy, and loud, as is often depicted in mainstream movies or television. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
At the beginning of every session, your therapist will set rules and guidelines to remind you of how peaceful the course must be. As professionals, they are trained to handle the situation and know how to properly mediate so that arguments between family members will not suddenly erupt when the session is taking place. There’s no need, therefore, to be afraid that counseling will only pull you farther apart as a family.
- Family therapy is nothing but a blame game.
No, family therapy is not a blame game. Questions that will be asked by your therapist are not intended to point fingers at anyone. Instead, the purpose of these questions are to give your therapist a proper grasp of your family dynamics, as well as the respective problems that each member might be struggling with. Hence, it will be to your advantage to answer each question as honestly as possible so that the family therapist will be able to give a fair assessment of the situation, as well as the proper solution to your problems.
- Family therapy will make people think the family is dysfunctional.
The great thing in today’s day and age is that family therapy no longer bears the negative stigma of being sought after only by dysfunctional families. As more and more people are beginning to open up and accept that they might need help regarding their personal dilemmas, they can now see the positive changes that family therapy can bring to a family, and even to individuals. However, it is more than likely you will have a higher chance of actually ending up as a dysfunctional family if you do not allow yourself to receive the professional help and advice that family therapy sessions can bring.
Conclusion
Family therapy is one of the most rewarding things that you can do as a family not only to resolve your issues in a calm and peaceful manner, but to also foster a healthy and loving relationship between all family members. These myths, therefore, should not stop you from getting a family therapist, especially if the situation you’re facing already necessitates the help of a trained professional.