Family counselling Melbourne

Family problems

All families have their challenges and go through difficult times, whether they are developmental problems, communication problems or health and medical problems. Sometimes these can be overwhelming. Our family therapy can help.

Parenting can be a challenging and often stressful experience and the parent-child relationship can at times become strained, particularly with the modern trend to "blended" families, where separation or divorce and a new relationship/marriage adds to the complexity. Children might struggle with their loyalty to a birth parent and resist, or actively reject a new partner. That can demand a level of diplomacy, forbearance or restraint that might not come naturally. A wise, experienced professional like one of our family psychologists can be a godsend.

Adjusting to being a new parent and to the ever-changing developmental needs of your child as they grow into adulthood is a challenging job.

Some families often do not have enough support to help parents manage their problems. Some are overworked and under-resourced. Grandparents may live far away or be unable to assist. Older parents may need extra assistance.

We often hear parents express uncertainty or a lack of confidence in how to manage some of the challenges. Parents can seek counselling to address their own areas of concern and the factors that may be impacting upon their parenting capacity or parenting experience.

Adult families can also have their problems: competition between adult siblings and their families, different values and different politics, and conflict over managing ageing parents. Our psychologists can help families recognise and address issues within the family group as well as helping individuals.

What we can help with

We can assist parents and families on a range of presenting issues, including:

• Relationship difficulties in the family
• Older adult issues in families
• Intergenerational conflict in families
• Parent coping, stress management and mental wellbeing
• Adolescent and Young Adult emotional or behavioural difficulties
• Parental assistance for adolescents experiencing cyber bullying
• Adjustment to becoming parents (including peri- and post-natal depression and anxiety)
• Family stressors, grief and loss, and adjustment
• Cross-cultural issues in families
• Blended families

Our Family Therapies

Psychology Melbourne’s family psychologists use a number of different therapeutic approaches, depending on their particular practice background, the presenting issues and the family’s concerns. At times they might use a combination of techniques.

All of the therapies used in Psychology Melbourne’s practice have a sound theoretical basis and are supported by the evidence of research comparing different treatments and systematic reviews.

• Family therapy
• Relationship Counselling
• Parent Training and support
• Intergenerational Counselling
• Parent-Child relationship support
• Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
• Mindfulness and mindful parenting

Intergenerational Counselling

Inter-generational trauma can begin as a key event in childhood which has impacted on the ways in which individuals within a family relate to each other. Inter-generational counselling explores the cause and effect and healing strategies.

A parent may have experienced untreated severe trauma which has led to an addiction or other harmful behaviours. Abused children who may have endured years of emotional and psychological abuse, may exhibit many of the same behaviours as the abusive parent which can then pass on to future generations.

These unhealthy behaviours can then become a “normal” way of raising children within the family.

Psychology Melbourne’s psychologists can help families suffering from generations of traumatic experiences to heal.

When should you seek help?

Here are some tell tale signs that your family may be heading for trouble.

• Intolerance of different opinions, beliefs, values or goals
• Different approaches to parenting
• Breakdown in communication and avoiding each other
• Repetitive arguing with no resolution
• Bullying, harassment and physical aggression
• Financial difficulties, bickering and lack of emotional control
• Ageing parents and serious differences about their care
• Mental health problems with parents, children or adolescents
• Pressures relating to natural disasters and unforeseen events

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