Strengthen Your Family Bond

Kathryn J. Raths, LLC photo (I'm the youngest in the front!)

As a newly Limited, Licensed Professional Counselor, I am interested in helping families because a healthy family is the foundation of the success of our homes, communities, and so on. Considering this, I am curious about the dynamics of family therapy. I feel fortunate with my family; I wonder if I really did pick them before I entered my human experience? Although we’ve had our moments in the past, I can call any of my loved ones, and I believe they would help me in any way possible, and I would do the same for them. I do not take this for granted because I have seen many families who cannot count on one another in times of need.

If you can't count on your family, who can you count on for support?

The strength we get from those who can understand our life circumstances is extremely empowering. Although we may have grown up in the same environment, we can perceive things differently. This perception depends on many factors, like where we rank in birth order, our personalities, physical attributes, etc. But while we may live with perceived differences, we can better understand the lives of our siblings because of our overlapping journeys. When we care and are genuinely curious about individuals in our family, this attention gifts warmth and reciprocation. Just like in any relationship, there is give and take. But, if healthy relationships were never really modeled from our attachment figures and dysfunction was normalized in our childhood homes, developing stronger bonds as adults may be difficult. It is a work in process, and we often have to pick our battles by thinking about our values and choosing not to sweat the small stuff and take the high road. If you cannot initiate the interface, it may be time to take action and contact a professional for help. At least open the dialogue and see who might be willing to embrace positive change; it’s worth a shot!

If you are local to Southeastern Michigan, click here to find a family therapist.