Imagine you are sitting in an inviting room. Soft lighting casts a soft glow. There is someone listening, really listening. A marriage and family counselor can be a real magician.
A therapist is known to wear many different hats. Part detective, coach, or referee, they wear many hats. Imagine that your spouse and you are engaged in an argument about who will take the trash out. Then, suddenly, the therapist comes in, just like an umpire, to stop things before they get out of hand.
You’re helped to understand the cryptic, emotional signals from your partner in one moment. One minute they are helping you decode cryptic emotional messages from your partner. The next they will guide through the complicated web of family dynamics which could have made Shakespeare scratch her head.
Family members are pieces of a puzzle. The pieces are different shapes and colors, but fit together perfectly to make a picture. If you’re only able to see jagged pieces, your therapist will show you how they fit together.
We’ll talk about the kids now. Try to convince a teenager. Is it like nailing jam on the wall? There is a strange ability that therapists possess to bridge generation gaps. It is their job to translate the frustration of teenagers into something both parents and children can relate too.
Once, a close friend of mine told me the story about her first therapy sessions with her parents. She said it was like peeling off an onion layer by level, tear by cry. By the end it was closer than before.
If you’re sceptical, what can you do? It’s possible you’ve been scared by horror stories and think that therapy only applies to “other people.” Please don’t be fooled; therapy is not something reserved only for TV characters. Science and empathy are the foundations of real-life.
Imagine that you go into therapy carrying the burden of the whole world. The end result is that you are able to shed some weight and gain new skills for dealing with the life’s surprises.
They don’t even have magic wands. Therapists are trained, have spent years studying human behavior, and possess a wide range of techniques that can be tailored to each specific situation.
The old saying goes that Rome did not get built overnight. It’s the same with relationships and family. The relationships or families that we have require work and patience.
What about busting another myth? Therapy isn’t about fixing broken relationships; it’s also about strengthening those that are already working. As you upgrade your relationship program, it will help to fix any issues as well as add some new features.
Imagine yourself building a house, but without a blueprint. Your chances of ending up with walls or doors in places where they should not be are high. This blueprint is provided by a therapist so that you can build a stronger home with more harmony.
It is also important to use humor! The best medicine can sometimes be laughter. Jokes during serious discussions are a great way to lighten things up and get everyone together.
Do you remember those “aha”-moments when all suddenly made sense? Asking questions that encourage you to think critically about you and those around, therapists help facilitate epiphanies.
Therapy is like Gandalf, who guides Frodo along Middle-earth’s dangers without having to deal with all the pesky orcs.
If someone says they want to go through marriage counseling or family therapy next, you shouldn’t scoff or laugh. You might not even realize that it’s what’s keeping their ship on course in the face of stormy weather!
In the end, we all need a little assistance in our relationships.