What is family?

By Christina Lacey
Being a marriage and family therapist, this is something that is thought of often. Family can include anyone who means a great deal to another, who is supportive of that person, who you want to share your time with. This can mean actual family through blood, family that you created through friends, and sometimes we include our pets.

We may not always like the family that we are born into, or we may not be given a chance to create a connection with our blood family. Some people may choose to have a family that they created as they may be far away from their blood family. Many many people think of their pet as family as they create a loving non-judgmental and happy environment.

I think that family should be anyone who brings us joy, who supports us when we need support, backs us up when we need backing and don't judge us for our imperfections. We need to keep in mind, as they say, families come in all shapes and sizes. It is how we treat them that counts. Whether they be our true blood family, or a created family, how they treat us and we treat them is most important.

If we find that people in our lives, family members are not supportive, or hurtful, or poisonous to us, we may need to cut them off. We have to remember, that we have to be healthy to be there and help other people, and we if don't get this in return, it is only bringing us down and we are not able to live our best lives. Which is the key!
As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I see individuals and couples mostly. I enjoy working with my clients and learning about them and how they can be better as an individual and also to others around them.

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