It takes a village. Most of us have heard this phrase before. But what does it really mean? And what is this “village” that is mentioned. Well, I believe that the village can be as wide or as small as we make it. Our village can include our family, grandparents, best friends, a babysitter, a coach, teachers, professionals who are enlisted to help with bumps along the road, social media, and our neighbor next door. Reaching out in order to meet needs, balance stress and collaboratively arrive at solutions.
Many people ask me what exactly do people do in family therapy. They wonder if “everyone” should come. Many individual “issues”, “problems”, “behaviors”, “events” create the need to reach out to call on someone in the village. All of this occurs within a social context (the family, community, school system etc). There are often creative and collaborative solutions which can be authored, re-authored individually, within the couple/partner, parental or sibling subsystem, or the entire family system as whole. The focus of the therapy, the configuration of the players involved is depended on the presenting issue or reason for seeking out services. I often assist parents to feel more equipped to address, manage and navigate through developmental phases and family life cycles stages. Yes, people often seek out a therapist when they need help with a crisis, time limited problem, or would like to explore their options regarding relationships, vocational aspirations or creative processes. What matters most is more complex than the reason for calling on the village. what matters is a desire to grow, change and experience a shift in perspective, affect or circumstance.
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