FAMILY
The family unit is powerful in defining how our sense of self and identity develops. The models of relating to which we have been exposed, our basic attitude toward the world, and our view of ourselves and of others are internalized based on the experiences we have had in our familial contexts. When the couple, parent-child, and sibling relationships are secure, each family member can maintain an optimal balance between his or her need for autonomy and emotional connection.
Because of the inter-connected nature of families, difficult family dynamics can disrupt a sense of one’s safety and security. Often issues faced by one family member will spill over and affect other individuals within the family. Each family member is impacted by the physical health, feelings, behaviour, and psychological adjustment of each and every other family member, as well as the various relationships within the family. In many cases, it is optimal to address difficulties with the family as a whole, while still attending to each individual’s emotions, wants, needs, and perspectives. In working with families, particularly those with younger children, therapists will often combine individual, parent, and family therapy sessions to meet the unique needs of each family.
Developmentally Sensitive Parenting:
Parenting requires sensitivity to a child’s emerging developmental needs. Parents are often challenged by the shifting parenting strategies required to respond to their children’s changing developmental capacities and needs. When parenting is out of synch with these important developmental milestones, it can be disruptive to healthy development and potentially compromise the security of the parent-child bond and the mental well-being of the child.
Developmentally Sensitive Parenting:
Parenting requires sensitivity to a child’s emerging developmental needs. Parents are often challenged by the shifting parenting strategies required to respond to their children’s changing developmental capacities and needs. When parenting is out of synch with these important developmental milestones, it can be disruptive to healthy development and potentially compromise the security of the parent-child bond and the mental well-being of the child.
Impact of Separation and Divorce:
Separation and divorce have an emotional impact on the entire family system. Often emotional distance, anger, and hurt in the primary couple relationship will have coloured home life for a long period of time prior to separation or divorce. Loss and grief experienced by the breakdown and the eventual termination of the couple relationship have a reverberating effect on children. Learning how to effectively deal with the emotional aftermath of separation and divorce leads to more positive mental health outcomes for all members of the family.
Separation and divorce have an emotional impact on the entire family system. Often emotional distance, anger, and hurt in the primary couple relationship will have coloured home life for a long period of time prior to separation or divorce. Loss and grief experienced by the breakdown and the eventual termination of the couple relationship have a reverberating effect on children. Learning how to effectively deal with the emotional aftermath of separation and divorce leads to more positive mental health outcomes for all members of the family.
CFIR family therapists work with the entire family system while ensuring that each individual in the system has input. Each member participates in restoring healthy family functioning.
Co-parenting:
In the aftermath of divorce, parents are often challenged to create a new parenting relationship, particularly when children are young. Although the couple relationship did not work, parenting continues to be a shared responsibility. Developing an effective co-parenting strategy minimizes the impact of separation & divorce on children.
In the aftermath of divorce, parents are often challenged to create a new parenting relationship, particularly when children are young. Although the couple relationship did not work, parenting continues to be a shared responsibility. Developing an effective co-parenting strategy minimizes the impact of separation & divorce on children.