How Your Blended Family Can Benefit from Family Therapy
How Your Blended Family Can Benefit from Family Therapy
What is a blended family? Forming a blended family means that two partners and their previously born children get to begin a new journey together. Like any other family relationship, the blended family can have its joys and challenges. Children can experience any number of emotions with this transition that can affect their relationships with their step-siblings and both parents. In this case, family counseling can help.
Common Issues of Blended Families
Many spouses envision that this new blended family will be like their former one. Sometimes, one or both spouses will aim to make this family better in some way than their former family. Both of these scenarios are not only unhealthy but can often be the root cause of subsequent issues that arise.
Rushing relationships between children can cause them additional stress. The same is true of rushing relationships between spouses and their partner’s children. Children pitting one parent against another, negotiating, or giving ultimatums can cause all relationships to deteriorate quickly. This can also occur when disrespect becomes rampant.
When one spouse doesn’t support the other where it comes to disciplining the other parent’s children, this can cause deep emotional damage to both the spousal and parental relationship.
What Therapy Can Do for Your Blended Family
Family therapy can address the communication issues in blended families. It can help everyone to express their thoughts and emotions more clearly and be more comfortable with the emotions they are feeling.
Patience and Problem Resolution
Through therapy, blended families can learn to be more patient with the process of forming relationships. As well, everyone can learn strategies to help resolve problems more quickly with honesty and teamwork.
Roles and Underlying Issues
By knowing what their children and stepchildren need, and why, parents can also get clarity about their roles, which will help them navigate blended family life. As well, therapy can uncover any underlying mental and emotional issues that may be contributing to the problems occurring in the family.
A Safe Space for Everyone
Because everyone gets a say during family therapy sessions, family members get the opportunity to understand where everyone is coming from. This, alone, can do much to solve arguments and jealousy among step-siblings.
Help with Adjustment
Every child is unique and, depending on their age, will adjust to what is a blended family structure in different ways. Family therapy can help parents to understand what their children need out of parental and sibling relationships to feel safe and supported, which can resolve a host of existing issues, as well as prevent future problems from developing.
Matthew J. Bruhin & Associates understand the challenges of blended families. Our family counseling process involves a direct but non-judgmental process that allows every family member to experience personal growth and gain valuable insight.
Your family will get information about how to deal with the transitions and challenging situations that they encounter in a positive and healthy way that benefits everyone. Call us today at 619-493-0510.
