The impact of the family’s structure and values on children’s development has always been a hot topic among psychologists. All processes, relations and events that occur in a family have an immense effect over the mindset of its youngest members. Our families are an inseparable part of who we are and what we tend towards. Healthy families turn children into integrated persons, who have honorable values and act in accordance with them. On the other hand, domestic violence and lack of emotional connection between the family members results with different personality disorders. Family therapy can help individuals and families who are going through difficult stages, and enable them to live in a harmonious environment despite of their differences.
Parents have the most noble, but responsible and complex role at the same time. Parenthood fills people with joy, love and happiness, but also comes with hopes, expectations and aspirations. The responsibility of raising a family comes with doubt and great confusion. No matter how hard they try to be perfect, parents always make small and great errors that influence their children’s personal development. The effects upon the child’s emotional wellbeing are even more serious when the parents do not respect each other, so the family life is often disturbed by fights, misunderstanding, or a complete horror for all people who live under the same roof.
Children raised in a healthy family environment have greater perspective of growing into persons of integrity, whose actions are based on righteousness, compassion, honesty, and moral values. When the family members speak the truth and take responsibility for their actions, the child is being taught to be honest, consistent, and introspective. These people have a great advantage into any society. Personal integrity helps people to maintain emotional contact with the individuals they care about. Functional families act towards the development of such principles.
Dysfunctional families, on the other hand, are not an emotionally safe environment for children. When the members of the family aren’t able to share their honest opinions, dreams, feelings and desires, they face fear, shame and disappointment on a daily basis. The most effective remedy of a serious problem in the family system is family therapy, focused on creating improved primary relations and greater wellbeing of all family members. Self-confidence is not innate behavior; people develop it through childhood. A basic precondition for the development of self-esteem and healthy personal values is the feeling of being loved and accepted.
Both parents and children can deal with the emotional discomfort through family therapy, aimed at removing the obstacles in the functioning of the community. The family is a system, which means that the changes in personality and behavior of one member affect all others. Through effective family therapy, people are able to understand the feelings of others and realize their own mistakes. As a result, the parents will work together towards the development of their children into emotionally-healthy people.