The family is the smallest building block of a society. The existence of a healthy society depends on the existence of healthy families. Studies on family counseling started to increase in Europe since the 1950s, but it was noticed in Turkey in the early 2000s and its star began to shine. Its place in the field of psychology is very important. In our country, providing both undergraduate and graduate education in universities is one of the most valuable steps taken towards a healthy society.
It would be right to say that the Family Counseling profession can fill a big gap in terms of being able to define the family, the superiority of examining the information about the function of the family and family types in the light of science, family relations, family communication and communication problems, family life cycle, family attitudes and choosing a spouse in marriage. Although it is not possible for the couple and family members to get the solutions of their problems from the closest family members (mother, father, elder brother etc.), it is obvious that the subject should be examined by family specialists due to issues such as emotional intimacy/being a party etc.
What is Couple and Family Counseling? HISTORY OF FAMILY COUNSELING AND FAMILY THERAPY MODELS In Family Counseling, which can be said to have a long history despite its short history, helping people to other people forms the basis of Family Counseling. In other words, it was important for people throughout history to help each other and to advise other younger members of the family communities (clans) and tribes of the elders, who were considered wise. It can be said that the fact that these social structures of the period only supported individuals in the form of advice was the first obstacle to the development of family therapy/counselling. The second reason why family counseling is not in the place it deserves is that, as professional groups (such as psychiatrists, legal people, religious representatives) who are outside the experts of the subject within the scope of traditions, customs, psychoanalysis et al. It can be said as the visible pressure of psychological concepts such as The problems of couples were generally examined with an individual and transference focus, the belief that working with more than one person could disrupt this process did not make it possible to solve the problems, and the solution of the problems was superficial. The principle of working only with the individual, without including the family and the living environment, continued in the process, not in-depth, but superficially evaluating the problems, the increasing need for mental health services especially at the end of the second world war, family therapies that many families need support and emerged in history as a brand new way to help individuals with problems. started to emerge. Understanding the power of the family in the society directed the therapists/counselors to the family and they realized that the individual who recovered in the family can also bring health to the family. While working with individuals, it was possible to treat the family as a whole by including the family in the treatment. Therapies within the scope of Family Therapist/Counseling have been able to change societies by providing valuable awareness in the cultural and religious beliefs of societies, especially in their social lives, and change the family; has achieved the success of transforming a solid society into a solid structure. Counseling covering only the family; Afterwards, it was named as couple-family-child therapies, and family counseling succeeded in creating its own methodology and system. I hope that in the near future, more individuals and families will be reached with the academic studies carried out in the world and in our country on the development of Couple and Family Counseling, the large number of non-governmental organizations in the field and the majority of experts who can meet the needs; As healthy individuals, it will be possible to live in a healthy society. Judge Self-confidence/Family Counselor Istanbul, 2019
