Talking About Counseling For Children And Teens

Family is one of the most important treasures extended to a person in life, but for some people, family seems to be a major source of stress and discontentment. This doesn't have to be. Family counseling can help. However, a number of people overlook this aid due to myths.

Your Issues Aren't Serious Enough

There is no scale by which to measure the issues your family is dealing with in order to determine if counseling is right for you. Think of counseling like you would going to the doctor. It doesn't matter if the pain is excruciating or just nagging; if it's bothering you, it's enough to go to the doctor.

The same mindset should be extended to counseling. If there is a problem that your family has been faced with, don't let the idea that your problems aren't significant enough turn you away. Even if your family isn't dealing with a particular matter, counseling can help build a solid foundation that can better equip you in the time of struggle.

Therapists Only Tell You What You Want To Hear

There is also the idea that a therapist will only tell you what you want to hear. While the role of any family session is to encourage and be empathetic, this isn't to say that the therapist won't highlight any areas of error. Generally, counseling begins with an opening up phase. This is the point when you and your family can discuss the issue from your perspective and discuss your feelings.

This can last a single session or several. After this point, the therapist will generally begin to interject more and serve as somewhat of a mirror, helping you examine the situation from an angle you might not have previously. Therapists can make you feel better, but they also make you dig deeper.

Counseling Will Only Lead To Greater Issues

As previously mentioned, counseling provides an opportunity for each family member to open up about their own experience and share their feelings. Some people believe that this is the same thing as negligently taking the lid off a pressure cooker. This isn't the case.

Counseling does open the door to deep conversation and thoughts. However, the role of the counselor is to quickly diffuse and make light of any situation, rather than allowing it to continue to fester. This can teach everyone to deal with the matter at hand, on the spot, and prevent any problem from magnifying.

If your family has been considering counseling, don't let a myth serve as a deterrent. Move past these myths and help keep your family on course by working with a counselor like those at Fairbanks Counseling & Adoption.