The Struggle To Enter Into The Field Of Marriage And Family Therapy

Understanding the family life cycle is paramount when wanting to enter into the field of marriage and family therapy. The theory of the family life cycle refers to life development as an individual and as a family unit (Gladding, 2015). An individual passes through multiple life stages; milestones in one’s life. This same concept applies to a family unit. Subsequently when discussing family therapy as a unit it involves the individual and the family working together in a cohesive manner to pass through each life cycle phase (Gladding, 2015). The goal to being a successful family unit is to pass through milestones with the ability to learn and grow. As a marriage and family counselor it is important to understand that each family life cycle

Each family member will have different reactions and challenges throughout the phases of life that will impact the family unit. Other families will have mitigating factors that make seemingly normal phases that much more difficult to navigate. When an illness, death or special needs child enters into the family dynamic it can affect each family member differently which in turn affects the family unit. It is important for any family that may struggle at any phase through their personal family life cycle to seek counseling. As a counselor it is important to understand what phase the family is in, where they are struggling as a family and as individuals so the proper tool can be provided to the family to move through said phase and into the next with more acceptance and growth. As the definition of the family unit continues to grow and change, family life phases will grow and change. Subsequently, the counseling profession will need to adapt alongside the changing modern family and their