The Marriage Counseling Blog

One of the most difficult scenarios encountered in family therapy is therapy initiated to deal with a loss. The death of a family member, be it something that already happened or a death that is unavoidable and coming soon, is an unbearable stress for most families to deal with on their own without outside support. It is no surprise that there is a very high divorce rate in families with long-term illnesses. There is also a high illness rate in other family members as mental stress takes on a physical role.

For many families with loved ones who are dying from a long-term illness, the stressors on so many individuals are simply overwhelming. Whereas one family member could turn to the other for support during an individual crisis, a whole-family crisis means that everyone is dealing with grief, anger and loss and cannot fully support others while trying to support themselves, too.

In essence, it is often impossible for one family member to provide the physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial support necessary for all family members.

The role of Family Therapist in Loss

The role of a family therapist in these instances is to help support and address all members of the family and assist them in gradually moving forward through a natural mourning process. There are almost always both negative and positive memories and feelings about the loved one who is passing on, bringing both anger and guilt into an already volatile emotional environment. Many people need to hear that it is natural and normal to feel these varied emotions. Working with a family therapist to deal with long-term illness and loss is one of the ways that families deal with the grieving process and learn to create an environment of acceptance and support for one another.

Related Posts

• Family Therapy for Families in Crisis
• Family Therapy for Blended Families
• Family Therapy and Blended Families
• Grieving a Miscarriage and Healing a Marriage
• Couples Counseling and Integrating Families