Many people believe that the biggest problem a person can face in his life is a health scare or a medical. For them mental challenges, emotional drawbacks, disconnect between individuals are mere aesthetic problems that can be cured with relative ease. This is where the real problem lies. A man’s health and well-being is as much dependent on their physical health as it is on their mental health. A person that may be perfectly fit and healthy may still have certain underlying mental uneasiness and problems which may keep them from fulfilling their potential.

Family therapy is another branch of therapy that as its name indicates focuses on family issues and addresses family challenges in a systematic and systemic way. It is only natural to have differences between family members, but if not dealt constructively, it can have far reaching negative consequences. The problem and challenges in the family may be as a result of many reasons. It could be because of underlying tensions, a scarred childhood, historical resentment, negative habits, unhealthy communication and many others possibilities. At the end of the day, family is family and as the expression indicates “blood is thicker than water.”  If you cannot solve your issues by yourself, a family therapist can guide you in building healthy dynamics and creating successful relationships within your family. But how do you know it’s time to see a family therapist. Here are a 5 signs.

·        Family members are disconnected

A family is supposed to be well knit unit, like the human body. So that if one individual from the family is experiencing problem,  stress or pain, the rest of the body is also  feeling that distress. A natural way for other family members to respond is to  stand by and help that individual. Unfortunately, there are cases where families are disconnected emotionally or physically. Some family members even live apart and they want to stay apart from one another, shying away from even the slightest chances of spending time with one another. In these cases family support is not available. A family therapist can guide family member in bridging their differences and will talk to them about their apprehensions and problem, allaying their fears and working to smooth the strained relationship.

·        Family faced a traumatic experience

Divorce, death and abuse can all make up and be a part of a traumatic experience for a family. Trauma is not restricted to individuals it can transcend on whole families if they are to face a situation that they are unable to comprehend cognitively and process emotionally. Different individuals have their own unique ways of dealing with adverse situations. Some can build a wall around them shielding themselves from such situations while others can take such problem to heart and face an uneasy time. Traumatic situations can destroy the functionality of a family. A family therapist can help a family deal with the trauma, process it and move beyond its negative impact to rebuild what was broken.

·        Anger and miscommunication is the norm

What you say is not always what people understand. Sometimes perception is greater than reality and this can lead to misunderstandings, problems and issues within a family. Miscommunication and anger are the two things that keep people away from a resolution of their differences and disputes. Unhealthy communication and misunderstanding lead to problems that can lead to frustration, resentment and anger.

The only way to get rid of misunderstanding is being able to communicate well. If two people are able to sit with one another communicate and mainly to listen to understand, they have a better chance of ironing out their differences. This is especially true in a family situation where ego can come in between resolution of disputes and power struggle dominants. In such an event when there is misunderstanding and anger, it is best for the family to go to a family therapist as they are expert in teaching communication skills as well as emotional and anger management.

·        Family members have difficulty functioning

Each family has its own dynamics. Some families are connected and emotionally mature. Other families are disconnected and less  affectionate about one another. Some families can be extremely dramatic and dysfunctional. Dysfunctions in families can manifest itself in many forms such as addictions or compulsions (drugs, alcohol, porn, overeating, gambling etc.), neglect, abuse, violence, child exploitation, etc..  If such cases, a family therapist is can help build the necessary family skills to  iron out the difficulties that leads to the dysfunction.

·        Change in children behavior at school or at home

Children like a canvas, what they see and what they feel at home will reflect on their personality. If a family is functioning well and happy, the child will be bright and joyful in their social live at school and at home. If there are troubles in a family, a child’s attitude may well reflect that. It is not easy to deal with children, especially “difficult” ones. When your child is upset, anxious or angry, keeping your cool is not easy and controlling your child is frustrating. If there is a change is a child’s attitude, whether they have become irate, angry or sensitive, etc. these are signs that a family therapist is needed.