Behaviour support strategies for stronger family relationships

January 5, 2021

In an often chaotic and hurtful world, it helps to have the closeness of family and friends. Your relationships provide strength and help during these tumultuous times. In fact, there is great power to be found in relationships with our loved ones. You may not have realised this, but these connections are vital to your wellbeing and can be enhanced with the proper nurturing. 

You may be wondering how you can make your relationships stronger and more positive. First, let’s look at why these relationships are so crucial to our lives and then look at how you can strengthen them. Here are just three reasons family and friends are essential to our wellbeing.

Human Connection Enhances Health

Did you know that human connections will actually improve your health and may help you to live longer? According to Harvard Health, studies show that people who have strong social support from family and friends have fewer health problems, live longer, and are happier. 

Conversely, those who don’t have social connections with family and friends experience more depression and cognitive difficulties. In addition, they have a higher rate of mortality. So, science tells us how critical our social connections with family and friends are.

Takes Your Mind Off Your Own Problems

Have you ever noticed that if you’re feeling down and get together with someone for social time, you tend to forget your problems? It seems that, when we are isolated, we focus on our problems. Maybe it’s because we are alone, and there is nothing to occupy our minds. Notice how when you are with friends and family, you either forget about your problems or relieve the stress by getting problems off your chest. Either way, you go away feeling happier and less anxious.

Family and Friends Can Keep You Motivated

Your family and friends can help you stay motivated and positive. Without them, you may sink into despair. Family and friends can keep you accountable to your goals and assist you in achieving them, too. No matter how you look at it, your family and friends are crucial to keeping you upbeat and motivated.

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So, what do you do if your relationships with your friends and family are strained? Or what if your relationships are weak and not how you would like them to be? Since these connections are so vital, what can you do to restore, revive, and replenish your relationship ties? In other words, what can you do to ensure you maintain, nurture, and strengthen the connections with family and friends?

One way to enhance your relationships and friendships is through counselling support services. Our range of family support services can help bring you and your loved ones closer together. Maybe problems are hindering communication with your friends and family members. You could benefit from relationship support counselling.

You may have also heard the term behaviour support. It’s not just a buzzword – it can be a pathway to achieving a happy, fulfilling life. Through a behaviour support program, a professional counsellor will help you identify negative thought patterns, understand their root, and work to change them. By working through negative thoughts and changing them to positive ones, you can manage your mood more successfully, sleep better, and maintain the relationships that are so vital.

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Our Behaviour Support programs are a pathway to a happier future allowing  you to be your best self, thereby creating greater connections with others. Your relationships will flourish as you develop stronger self-worth and self-esteem. Prepare yourself for a brighter, happier future with behaviour support therapy!

Our Therapy Services team offers counselling, speech pathology, occupational therapy, specialist behaviour support, psychology and social work services.

Our practitioners have a range of skills and expertise to suit children, youth and adults across every stage of their lives. We have strong networks across our communities and are happy to connect you to the right professionals so you can live meaningful happy lives.

Click here for more information or call (02) 9481 2677. Appointments are available now – no wait lists! People can self refer, or we accept third party referrals from other services, including Medicare Care Plans and NDIS Plans. These services do attract a fee, which can be offset through Medicare. For special circumstances we do have a limited number of subsidised sessions available with a current Medicare Care Plan from a GP and subject to eligibility criteria.