Help needed
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
Angie Eller
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The family life cycle has been described as a process of contraction, expansion, and realignment of the relationship system to support the development, entry and exit of family members. The stages include leaving home as a young single adult; marriage and the joining of families; families with young children; families with adolescents; launching children and moving on; and families in later life (Nichols, & Davis, 2017). As a counselor, I think the phase that would most likely constitute a potential struggle for me would be the launching children and moving on phase. I have five daughters that I absolutely adore, and I have loved raising them and cherished the time I have been able to spend with them. Three years ago my oldest daughter graduated from high school and moved to pursue her degree out of state. Two years later, my second daughter followed in her footsteps. The excitement I felt for them and the wonderful things they would experience was definitely present, but the grief I felt over no longer having them in my home everyday was overwhelming. I was shocked at how devastated I felt. I cognitively recognized that they were doing all of the things I dreamed they would be able to do, but my heart just hurt. I know counseling a family experiencing this phase may be difficult for me because my own experiences and emotions are still so recent, however, I also know that there are tools to assist in overcoming these obstacles. According to Whitbourne, avoiding a circumstance that I know may trigger unwanted emotions, modifying the situation, shifting my attentional focus, changing my own thoughts, and altering my responses are all techniques that may be helpful (Whitbourne, 2015).
Nichols, M. P. & Davis, S. D. (2017). Family therapy: Concepts and methods (11th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Whitbourne, S. (2015). 5 ways to get unwanted emotions under control. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201502/5-ways-get-your-unwanted-emotions-under-control%3famp
Respond to the following in a minimum of 175 words:
Valerie Long
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My youngest child is a Senior this year, and I am already experiencing anxiety with the fact that she will be leaving for college sooner than I would like. I feel that launching children and moving on would be difficult for me to work with (Nichols & Davis, 2017). Worrying about a child leaving the nest is, of course, part of life, but it still can make your heart skip beats. Add in the failing health of parents or the death of parents or loved ones and the stress and pressure can build. Being new to the field of family therapy, I honestly cannot answer how I would overcome obstacles at this time. I do know that being honest, compassionate, and understanding with the clients is a must. Having the experience of having children leave the nest, having a mother, father, and two of three siblings pass away I can relate to the client’s world. Making sure that the clients have the resources that are needed is also important, which all helped me in the past. I still have lots to learn since currently the only experience (knowledge) that I have is in addiction.
Nichols, M. P. & Davis, S. D. (2017). Family therapy: Concepts and methods (11th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
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