Family relationships are some of the most important relations we make in our entire lives. Hence, it is vital to have healthy family ties in order to have a peaceful and happy life. However, not all families are blessed with happy and strong relationships. All families have their own issues to deal with. However, for some families, solving these issues is much harder than others. For such families, family counseling is a very good option to clear misunderstandings. Counseling can help such families to better understand each other and communicate better. But not all families are open to the idea of going for counseling due to various reasons. Also, some people still have many misconceptions regarding family therapy. These wrong ideas affect the way they approach therapy and it needs to change. Let’s take a look at some of these misconceptions regarding family counseling.
Family Counseling Takes Time
Yes, all good things take time. And family counseling does too! However, the time you spend in counseling is just as much as you would spend in any other type of counseling.
And it’s the same for all members of the family. Whether you’re going with your parents, siblings, or alone, you only have to attend a single session during an agreed time despite having more than one person attending. So, instead of thinking about the time spent in therapy, you should think about why you need it in the first place! Here is a good article about the various reasons why you might need family counseling.
Counseling Means Blaming Parents
It is said that passing judgement without facts and evidence is similar to committing a crime. This is also true for those who think family counseling is an excuse to blame parents for their children’s failures. On the contrary, family counseling is all about bridging the gap between parents and children and between siblings. It helps you understand each other’s viewpoints and learn to accept each other. Therapy is also a way to learn how to open up to each other about your feelings, thoughts, dreams, goals, and expectations from each other.
Denotes Failure As Parents
Many parents believe that any slight on their children is their personal drawback. Such parents may believe that going for family therapy denotes their failure as good parents.
However, this is not true. A family may need counseling for a variety of reasons and it’s not always the children’s behavior that needs correction. Often family issues involve sibling rivalries, kids’ school performances, parental expectations from kids, family finances, or even marital problems. Hence, it is unwise to believe that any kind of family therapy is always the parents fault.
All Members Need To Attend
Another misconception that most people often believe about family counseling is that these sessions are always mandatory for all members of the family. Due to this belief, many people who would otherwise consider therapy are discouraged from it. It is hard to coordinate with all members of the family and find a day and time suitable to everyone. Also, some members of the family may find it difficult to open up in front of their parents or siblings. However, this is not the truth. While some family therapy sessions do require everyone’s presence, not all of them do. Mostly these sessions are just like private sessions.
There are many other misconceptions that people have regarding family therapy. However, one should always trust facts and logic and not fall for such misconceptions. If you believe that your family might benefit from family counseling, you should go for it without letting such wrong ideas affect your choice.
