Navigating Difficult Family Dynamics with Children of All Ages

Juanita Ecker

This time of year, I like to keep the focus on family dynamics because many of my clients come to me for this purpose. If you’re a parent or step-parent of younger children and/or adolescents, you probably understand the complex dynamic within these relationships. Whether it’s navigating behavior issues in a strained relationship or simply a disconnect between you and your kids or teens, you may have more control over the situation than you think! So, what exactly does this mean?

Act for Youth reported on Youth Statistics: Family Structure and Relationships. They stated, “Generally speaking, the type of family structure matters less to a child’s development than family relationships and stability. The quality of parents’ relationship with one another makes a difference to their children in many ways. A Child Trends analysis found that whether parents are married or cohabitating, parental relationship quality — how happy parents are in the relationship — is associated with children’s behavior problems, social competence, school engagement, and depression.”

But in every situation, even single-parent households, there are other factors such as parent-child connectedness that contribute to healthy relationships. Act for Youth also reported, “Parent-child connectedness is associated with a wide range of health indicators. Close, positive family relationships that feature open communication help young people stay healthy and avoid substance use, poor psychological health, risky sexual behaviors, and violent relationships. Family warmth and support, along with family management practices (e.g. shared meals, monitoring, parents’ knowledge of their child’s friends), can also play a role in positive developmental outcomes such as emotional regulation, curiosity, and adaptive coping.”

We can see there are many moving parts when it comes to developing healthy family dynamics but it begins with the parent. This is what I mean when I say that you can have more control over these types of situations than you may think. The power is in your hands. When you take steps towards healing and growth, other pieces fall into place. I have had success with helping women shift the tension in a family relationship that is strained. I am currently working with a client who never bonded with her oldest child. She bonded with her other children just fine. She now regrets this, and the child is now 19 years old. So, using the emotion code, we worked on removing the unresolved emotions from her past that triggered her behavior with this daughter. We had to clear a lot of trauma and unresolved negative emotions from her childhood. Once we did that, her relationship shifted positively. Once we release our baggage, the other person will respond differently in return. The work we have done has helped her make progress.

Along with the Emotion Code, I’ve also been working with a new technique, Pendulum Alchemy, for shifting energy to change circumstances in the lives of my clients. This can be so helpful during the holiday season when families and friends gather to celebrate. Using this technique, we can ease the tension of strained relationships and shift the energy so that those family members that always drive you crazy no longer push your buttons. If you’d like to see if one of these two techniques can transform your situation for the better, you can book a complimentary 20-minute strategy session. This holiday season I’m offering a limited-time special on pendulum sessions. You can take advantage of this offer right here!