Why do couples have the same fights over and over again even though they are ugly and painful? Why do families have so much difficulty changing how they react to each other? Each person has a valid point of view but the discussions never progress and problems do not get better. When a couple or family is having difficulty the solutions that they attempt often make the problem worse. This is because they are stuck in patterns of behaving which they do not fully understand and which dictate their actions. A family therapist examines the system as a whole and looks, with the family’s help, at the process rather than getting pulled in to the content.
As a family therapist, I aim to help to identify the interaction cycle and how each member contributes to it. Once patterns have been acknowledged, communication can be improved which opens up opportunities for growth and improved connections.