Individual Counseling Helps with Family Estrangement

Individual counseling is a process where a trained therapist or counselor works one-on-one with clients to help them explore their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. This can be especially important when dealing with family estrangement issues. With Take Charge Inc.’s counseling, you can redefine the meaning of your family bonds in family estrangement.

Family estrangement refers to the emotional and physical distancing or separation between family members, often resulting in reduced or no contact. It occurs when there is a breakdown in relationships, usually due to unresolved conflicts, differing values or beliefs, misunderstandings, abuse, or other significant reasons. Some would describe family estrangement as a form of ‘living loss,’ and the stages of pain and healing that come with estrangement are not very different from those of someone passing. The core and most apparent difference between the grief of estrangement and the grief of someone passing is that the person who is estranged is still living and breathing. Gaining closure and moving forward can be more of a challenge when we know that one day we may meet that person again, hear about their lives from others, or even see them on social media. It may come as no surprise, but many estranged individuals seek individual counseling to cope with their distress of the situation. Individual counseling can help people deal with family estrangement in several ways, including:

• Emotional Support: Counselors provide a safe and non-judgmental space for individuals to express their grief, anger, guilt, or sadness related to the estrangement.
• Understanding the Dynamics: Counseling can help individuals gain insight into the underlying reasons for the estrangement, including their contributions and the dynamics within the family.
• Exploring Alternatives: Counselors can assist individuals in exploring potential avenues for reconciliation or coping strategies if reconciliation is not possible or desired.
• Setting Boundaries: Counseling can help individuals establish healthy boundaries with estranged family members to protect their emotional well-being.
• Building Coping Skills: Counselors teach coping skills and techniques to manage stress, anxiety, or other emotional challenges that may arise from family estrangement.
• Identity and Self-Worth: Counseling can help individuals work on their self-esteem and sense of identity outside of the family context, fostering personal growth and resilience.
• Decision-Making Support: Counselors can assist individuals in making decisions about whether to maintain or attempt to repair relationships with estranged family members, considering their own well-being and emotional health.

So why does family estrangement happen? It can look like a family estrangement stemmed from a singular event, but it’s usually not that single event that leads to it. Recently, however, it has become apparent that both adult children and parents choose to have minimal or no contact with family for deep and significant reasons. The absence of a family support system can and often does exacerbate anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Individual counseling offers a comprehensive approach to dealing with family estrangement by addressing emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects, ultimately aiming to improve overall well-being and personal growth.

Individual counseling can be an excellent tool for someone struggling with family estrangement. For more information about individual counseling in Overland Park, KS, contact Terri Dichiser of Take Charge, Inc. at (913) 239-8255.