Tinder Creeps

So, you’re contemplating family therapy. It’s a step your heart wants to do the cha-cha and your mind wants to scream, “Oh no, not more talking!” The truth is: family therapy isn’t sittin’ on the couch, head clickin’ from a martini glass sippin’ serious somethin’, nodgin’ sxxd, ‘rrkhyh neajeetl,’… Forget all you saw in movies, we’re delving into the mundane of humans just trying to figure stuff out. Read more now on marriage and family therapist

The picture; Dad wants the thermostat set at 65 degrees while Mom is putting together a pillow fortress – Arctic cold. Sally is driven up the wall by little Timmy blaring techno music all the time. And, surprise surprise, family therapy isn’t a last foothold rescue. Sometimes every day quibbles deserve a bit of time in the spotlight.

In the world of family therapy, it is highly spirited and you are also likely to find emotions that you didn’t know existed, or knew you had, but didn’t know they were there. Picking up a balled up old box that they used to put things in before everyone had computers. You’ve got feelings! And that’s what family therapy is–all those wonderful and exasperating quirks that make your family tick (or argue over the last slice of chocolate cake).

Therapy is a secret weapon that you should consider but you aren’t wearing capes, you’re wielding critical communication skills. A family therapist is like a guide through the thick jungle of mixed signals, hurt feelings and sizzling tempers. The therapist points all of them in the direction of understanding, steering everyone with the question: “Do you remember the last time you called your brother a banana?” “Let’s decode that fruity metaphor.”

Take it from Aunt Marge. It was all she swore she’d have to start a new hobby in order to cope with her clan’s passionate dinner table debates. They saw eye to eye through family therapy. So now Marge broods on macramé not out of longing for escape but having discovered crafts as a relaxing pastime.

However, your new allies are patience, humor and a pinch of empathy. The beauty of this journey is much like the jazz music, sometimes chaotic, sometimes harmonious. It’s about bringing forth the rhythm, and the acceptance that sometimes, we’re going to hit a sour note. The techno beats may become a shared dance party, and the thermostat wars just maybe die down when everyone is learning to listen. No one realized that group therapy was the perfect place to equally hand out the last piece of cake with such elegance.

Families, at the end of the day, are a great blend of love and maverick energy. Guess what? There’s no one-size-fits-all. Each family tells its own story. It just helps to narrate it a tad better.