HEALTHY - FUNCTIONAL - HAPPY
FAMILIES/RELATIONSHIPS

A functional, adaptive, healthy & happy family
starts with
caring for one another in the family!
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Healthy, happy, adaptive and functional families do not just happen!

There are things people do to make them that way: that means people work at making them
healthy and happy: they have
commitment - and are mutually committed to each other, and to
making it work
.

Healthy (happy) relationships
do not happen on a 50-50 basis. They happen on a 100-100
basis
- each has to give ALL of their effort (100%), and sometimes 150% of their effort -to
sustain the relationship and make it work - and it has to be done unselfishly and without an
agenda.

Healthy, happy & functional families are characterised by love, acceptance of individuality,
trust, and continual "mutual compromises" through negotiation to make those individual
difference "work".

They blend their individuality, adjust and compromise - it is called consensus-building: that
requires commitment.
Respect, Dignity, Equality
Healthy-Functional Families/Relationships
Healthy - Functional Family
Equality of Personhood.
Instead it means they have worked out an approach that incorporates their individual
differences into a "new" unified, consistent, caring, loving and respectful approach to each
other, their children and other people: using
consensus.

See further below (committed relationships)

This is equally true in
blended, combined or merged families ("a meeting of two cultures").

Without that strong relationship between the two adults/parents, the family will not have
the strength that is so important; otherwise there will be failure: of both the relationship
and the family.
Dawn Cove Abbey
Deerfield, (Yarmouth County) Nova Scotia, Canada
2010
Communication in Relationships & Families. CLICK to read.
The opposite to a functional family is the dysfunctional family - to compare see
"Dysfunctional Family"  and "Codependency" (please remember the
cultural/community-based "standard")

For details on what is considered abuse and violence, see "
Violence & Abuse"
(culture/community)

To compare Healthy relationships to Unhealthy ones: see
Relationship-Compare
Profile and Secrets of Healthy, Functional, Adaptive & Happy Families & Relationships
Healthy, Happy Family and Relationship Traits and Characteristics
The ingredients (characteristics / secrets) for happy, healthy and functional families involve the following:

  • Young children, adolescents and parents all need to hear praise and feel affirmation from those special
    members of their family.
  • The adolescent strengthens his/her self-concept from the healthy statements or gestures showing care.
  • How do we reach out to our family showing care and love?
What are loving and caring words or gestures?
  • In healthy families, support for family members is one of the pillars of bonding.
  • In unhealthy families there is no such support - they are called "dysfunctional families" - or dysfunctional
    relationships.

For more on this, see our "
Creating A Healthy/Functional Relationship/Family" Retreats-Workshops
Also read - "If I Really Cared"

Healthy, functional families are a "minority group" - a "subculture"
within the dominant
culture of dysfunction.
                 Other Considerations In Healthy Committed Relationships

Over time many relationships enter a stage where the partners feel distanced from each other. The initial passion,
sexual freedom, intimacy, and feelings of connectedness with the partner fade. Either person may begin to feel that,
although they love their partner, they are no longer “in love.”

At the same time, both partners may feel that they have lost themselves in the relationship.

They have given so much to the relationship in terms of their time, their energies, and their emotions that they have
lost what made them feel unique as individuals. They have abandoned old friendships, hobbies, and activities that
brought interest and excitement to their own lives in order to devote time and energy to the relationship.

When a feeling of distance comes to define the relationship, resentment toward the partner may emerge.

How does a relationship, which may have once shown such promise, end up in a place where the two partners feel
distant and may not even like each other very much (even though they feel that love is still there)?
The answer lies within.

Two people who come together in an emotional commitment carry with them a legacy of their own fears, anxieties and
unresolved problems.

It is sometimes uncomfortable for us to come to terms with our own baggage. It is, in fact, so troublesome that we
are unable to look within ourselves.

When that happens, we tend to attribute the problem to our partners, a process called
projection (putting blame
that belongs to us on others instead).

Rather than accepting the fact that our partners are just being themselves and probably have the best of intentions,
we define the source of our own anxiety as lying within the other person.
"In the case of a married couple, the masculine and feminine element united by
true married love produce one life that is fully human".
~Emanuel Swedenborg
Respect
DawnCoveAbbey-Family
Healing
outreach
around
the world
It takes TWO people to make a relationship work
If one "knows" how and tries - and the other doesn't it will fail   
        
We help people heal their Relationships

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Let us help you find long-term resolution for your problems - and
assist you in your Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Healing.

If your Relationship needs healing - we can help
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When we feel uncomfortable about something our partners say or do, we may not realize that our discomfort may
insecurity, or our fear of dependence or independence.

Our partners may simply be triggering our own unresolved difficulties. The clue is to search within our own lives to
see why we have difficulty with these issues. And this is no small task.
To become acquainted with oneself is indeed
a terrible shock
.


The Course of a Relationship
Relationships mature over time.
The initial attraction may be physical, and this may carry the relationship for some time to the point of making an
emotional commitment.
Then the excitement and promise of sharing our life with another person can lead to a stage of heightened
expectations where we ignore or minimize the discomfort that we may feel from time to time in the relationship.


But this stage comes to an end and we finally express our frustration.
“Why are you always telling me what to do?”
“Can’t you give me any time to myself?”
“Don’t you know who I am?”
“Why don’t you shower me with love like you used to?”

Notice in these examples that blame is cast on the other person.


The one hurling the blame does not look within (for example, “I have difficulty because of my own issues when
someone tells me what to do.”). This is a particularly vulnerable stage in the course of an emotionally committed
relationship, and can serve as a make or break challenge.

It is at this stage that an equilibrium – or, more accurately, a standoff – is reached by the two partners. “I won’t
challenge you and you won’t challenge me, and we’ll just accept the fact that we will be distant from each other.”

In contrast, healthier relationships move into a different and more mature stage - where both partners look within
to find the source of their own anxiety, find ways to soothe themselves without trying to change the other person,
and learn to accept and love the other person despite their frustrating quirks.

When this occurs, and when the distance between the partners has been resolved, the genuine excitement and
passion of the relationship can continue to flourish - this time in a mature, accepting, and integrated manner.


Differentiation
David Schnarch, Ph.D., the author of Passionate Marriage, suggests that in order to grow within an emotionally
committed relationship, we must experience the process of “differentiation.” This means holding onto yourself
within a relationship, staying true to what you want out of life while sharing your life with a partner.

Differentiation allows us to break free from the negative processes that happen between partners in any
relationship. It allows us to take a time out from arguments in order to comfort ourselves. It leads to self-control,
which means that we can stop trying to control our partners.

The differentiated partner is able to soothe him- or herself rather than pressuring the other person to change in
order to make the first one feel better. Paradoxically, when partners differentiate, they actually have the ability
to achieve more intimacy, while undifferentiated partners can stay locked in their emotional standoff.

And when one partner differentiates, it upsets the old equilibrium that had developed so that the other partner is
prompted to make changes as well. In short, a healthy relationship is one in which two people, each of whom has a
firm sense of self, come together and celebrate both their differences and their similarities.


Schnarch identifies several activities that happen when a person differentiates.
  • Maintaining a clear sense of who you are within the relationship. Your partner was probably originally
    attracted to you because of the strength of your unique qualities. Both of you knew what you valued and
    believed in. Over time, because we accommodate ourselves to both our own and our partner’s more immature
    qualities and unresolved issues, we lose our sense of uniqueness.

  • We compromise ourselves with the goal of smoothing out conflicts and fail to realize that we are losing our
    sense of self in the process. We may find that we have lost those qualities that were once so attractive to
    our partner. Differentiation involves looking within, gaining a firm definition of who we are, and celebrating
    our uniqueness.

  • Maintaining a sense of perspective. We need to accept the fact that we all have anxieties and other
    shortcomings. This is part of the human condition. The mature person, however, understands that these
    frailties need not determine our behavior.

  • Our limits should neither incapacitate nor drive us. When we honestly accept this fact both in ourselves and in
    our partners, we can take a more balanced approach in dealing with each other’s limitations. The peaks and
    valleys of crises can be smoothed out. The blaming can come to an end, replaced by acceptance and love for
    the other person.

  • Committing to a willingness to engage in self-confrontation. Looking within is difficult, but it is a necessary
    step both in our own life development and in helping our relationships to grow to new levels. Self-
    confrontation means coming to terms with our own fears, anxieties, and insecurities, a process that may be
    aided by professional psychotherapy.

  • It may mean accepting the criticisms of our partners as valuable feedback about where our insecurities lie.

  • Self-examination can focus on understanding how and why we manipulate others, undermine our own
    effectiveness, take a selfish approach at times (or, alternatively, give to others and never to ourselves), and
    work against our own best interests. We need to understand why we avoid ourselves, and then we need to
    make an honest commitment to enter into a path of honesty and integrity.

  • Acknowledging our projections and distortions of reality that protect us from ourselves. We need to
    understand why we blame others, especially our emotionally committed partners, rather than acknowledging
    our own participation in interpersonal conflicts.

  • This involves admitting when we are wrong. We should not expect that our partners will do likewise. Taking an
    honest approach toward our own lives is a tough, but rewarding, journey into personal integrity.

  • When we embark on the trip, our partners, who are no longer feeling blamed and know that the old emotional
    standoffs have been eliminated, will often decide to begin their own excursions into self-growth.

  • Learning to tolerate the pain involved in self-exploration. Dealing with emotional pain is a talent, which can be
    learned. In childhood many of us learned unhealthy ways of handling discomfort, often because we lacked
    supportive role modeling from our parents or other adults that would have taught us how to deal with pain in a
    healthier way.

  • We may have learned to blame our parents when we faced life’s difficulties, and then we carry this blaming
    behavior into our committed relationships in adulthood. Avoiding pain is the reason many adults indulge in
    substance abuse or other addictive behaviors such as gambling, inordinate spending, or watching too much
    television.

  • The healthier option is to make the adult commitment to explore the pain and its sources – and to find ways
    to make self-growth a friend rather than something to avoid. When we learn to cope with our own pain, we no
    longer need to manipulate our partners into making us feel better. And when this happens, the magic can re-
    enter our relationships.


Learn to Self-Soothe in the Face of Conflict
We blame our partners when we feel discomfort, and this tends to create distance within an emotionally committed
relationship. The distance, then, creates a feeling of further discomfort. The clue to dealing with this dilemma is to
learn how to soothe your own emotional pain. This can open the way to more passion and closeness in your relationship.

Schnarch offers several suggestions for helping people to learn the art of self-soothing.
  • Don’t take your partner’s behavior personally. Even if your partner doesn’t make all the changes that you’ve
    made, it should not be taken personally.

  • If you and your partner are having a conflict, try some inwardly focused relaxation techniques. Focus on your
    breathing. Stop talking and try to slow your heart rate. Lower the volume of your speech and work on relaxing
    your body.

  • Put the current conflict into perspective. Think about past instances of the same type of conflict. What
    resources did you use in the past for dealing with the conflict? Think about how discomfort will surface again
    in the future - and if you learn now how to deal with it, you will be better off in these future instances.

  • Control your behavior, even if you can’t regulate your emotions. While we may have difficulty in controlling our
    emotions, especially in the face of a conflict, we can have control over our behavior. Prevent yourself from
    saying and doing things that you will regret later.

  • Tell yourself: “I don’t have to take action on my feelings.”

  • Stop the negative thinking. Our thoughts drive our feelings and behavior. When you find yourself engaged in
    negative thinking, make the change to more positive thoughts. Accept what is happening and then calm down.

  • You may have to break contact temporarily with your partner until things cool down. When you are engaged in a
    conflict, you may need some time to get in touch with your self again. Look on this as a time-out, not a
    separation. Tell your partner that you need some time alone to calm down and that you can discuss the issue
    better later, after both of you have had some space from each other.

  • Self-soothing does not involve substance abuse, the abuse of food, or emotional regression. You need time to
    confront yourself and understand what your part in the conflict may be. This does not mean hiding out,
    sleeping, binge-eating, or the use of drugs or alcohol, which are all ways to avoid self-confrontation.

I hope this article helps you to think about your relationship in a new way!
(also see
Love, Infatuation Obsession etc)
Best wishes,
~Donna Bellafiore
COUNSELING: LIFE  COACHING and CONSULTING

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____________________________________________________

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                             Characteristics of Healthy Families


Basic Orientation:
Family atmosphere is influenced by a belief in helping each other, acknowledging human needs for reassurance and
support, and viewing mistakes as human. Family members know that human needs are satisfied through
relationship.


Boundaries:
Clear boundaries between family members means that the responsibilities of adults are clear and separate from
the responsibilities of the growing child(ren). There are no “parentified” children in the family, and people talk
freely for themselves, expressing differences of feelings and opinions without fear of punishment or retaliation.


Power and Intimacy:
People are able to relate intimately when they feel they have equal power. This is because when we get
frightened, two options are open to us: to relate through loving and caring to get our needs met, or to control
others or a situation. We may choose the power of love or the power of control.


Honesty and freedom of expression:
Members of a family are free to express themselves autonomously , including different opinions or viewpoints if
the family interactions support individuality. Discussions can be lively and even heated if it is basically acceptable
for family members to have differences. Love and caring is not withdrawn if people think differently about
something. If ambivalence and uncertainty are accepted, as well as differences, families tend to enjoy an open
atmosphere of honesty in relationship.


Warmth, joy and humor:
When there is joy and humor in relationships, people seek out the comfort of these interactions. Family members’
enjoyment and trust in one another is an important energizing resource! There is the feeling that there is always
someone to talk to who cares, and who you can laugh and have fun with at various times as well.


Organization and negotiating skill:
A necessary aspect of family life is coordinating tasks, negotiating differences and being able to reach closure
effectively. Negotiating skills include the ability to listen and make choices in what family members feel is a fair
process. In healthy families, this process does not get overly bogged down, although there is room for discussion,
and parents alternate the role of coordinator between them. Parents can take charge without being overly
controlling.


Value system:
Part of the health and vibrancy of any family is also dealing with weaknesses, fears and stresses in the system
itself. Nobody is perfect and no system is perfect. But in healthy families, truth is accepted as not absolute.
Different perspectives on reality are acceptable and people are basically good.
The strength of a family stems from the strength of the relationship between the two
adults/parents. After all, the family started with them, and when the children are grown, it
will be the two adults who are left. The question will be: with what? A good solid relationship
that has grown over time - or a disastrous, dysfunctional situation?
  • If you have a question about healthy/happy families, or a related one, or
  • If any of the above (or below) does NOT apply to you and your life, or of someone you
    know, and you desire help: online - distance help/counselling works (see Distance Consl).
    Help is here - no risk - no obligation to inquire - totally confidential!
Adult Children - Survival Roles
Follow-up and Support Counseling to Seminars & Workshops
Dawn Cove Abbey Empowerment Outreach is a registered not-for-profit business in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada
If you have questions, comments or suggestions, please email. I'll be happy to hear from you.
The Dawn Cove Abbey Tradition: Helping People Rediscover Themselves
Established in 1995, in commemoration of Abbey Dawn in Kingston, Ontario.
Regardless how long your behaviour pattern and circumstances may have
existed, and no matter how much you despair of healing: recovery - healing and
becoming a true survivor is possible at any time.

"Each night I die to old habits and to negative thinking and actions that do not
serve me any more;
each morning I am resurrected into new life, again and again –
if I so choose."
(adapted from the
chapel's prayers).
IF YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR LIFE SITUATION

If the description on this page describes you and
you wish to heal, let us help you find long-term
resolution for your problems - and assist you
in your emotional, mental and spiritual healing.

If it describes someone in your life, we can help
you understand it better and how to cope or deal
with it - and bring healing to you as well.

We can help you begin
your Inner Child's journey "home"

Nearly 30 years experience
helping Adult Wounded Children.

Email, call or write to begin the healing - Today!
Dawn Cove Abbey Transformational Outreach: Resource
First and foremost: a family's purpose (in Western-European and North American cultural
terms) consists of the living, sharing, nourishing and development of life.

In a healthy, happy and functional family, the adults (parents) have "their act together":
they are the role-models; they model behaviour: they are "adaptive" - and each has "
worth".  
Also see "
Gender Equality".
They have, or have built, or are building, a strong, solid relationship. All their actions in the
family are generated from that strong, healthy relationship.

That doesn't mean they are both the "same".
If you found this page helpful and know someone else who could benefit from it, please tell them

NOTE: For Recovering/Healing from a dysfunctional family, coping with or overcoming a dysfunctional
(alcoholic) family/relationship, help is available here - Online, distance help/counselling works!

Related topics: Abuse & Violence, Children-Roles, Codependency  & Male-Female Equality, Lifeskills  or  Building Trust
We welcome inquiries. There is no obligation, and there will be no unwanted
follow-up solicitation. All inquiries are totally confidential: see
Contact Us
Roadside Assistance for your healing and reconciliation Journey Of Life
Can Adult Children recover and heal
and lead creative, functional lives?

Yes, they can - and they
do!

One young lady I know, who despite
having some dark days, writes
excellent poetry.
You can find it on her blog site -
click
HERE

Also see - Survivors Podium on this
site, with brief stories from those
who succeeded.
Please consider sharing your story
Dawn Cove Abbey - many ways of helping people learn, recover and heal:

  • providing personal guidance for growth, healing and empowerment
    through personal life coaching/counselling.

  • extensive information and support pages on this website

  • - the information is free and available to all - if you have found it to
    be helpful and useful, please consider making a donation toward
    maintaining this important service.

I sincerely hope that you take the
Less Travelled Road  and that it brings
awakening
 and healing to you.

   People who really want to heal will find a way;
           those who don't, will find an
excuse.

If you have a Family issue - we can help

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Recovery, Overcoming, Healing and bringing Closure are possible at any time.
However, in most cases there are not always easy, simple solutions or 'quick-fixes';
- the journey will often be a difficult challenge with much inner work and time required.

But if you are ready to make the change / transition to begin your healing journey, we can help.
Please call, write or email without obligation (and strictly confidential)
(for more information see Transform)- or click  Contact-Us
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