Dr LeCrone
05-21-2006, 09:54 PM
During this holiday season most of us reflect on what we have accomplished during the year and what we would like to accomplish in the coming year. We also may think about the most precious gifts that we could give or receive.
This is a time of reflection for me. I have been writing “Psychology and You” for a little more than a year now. For quite some time my friends, colleagues, patients, and some of the readers have urged me to write my personal views about the necessary ingredients for making a happy, healthy family.
As my name Hap may suggest, I am generally optimistic, enjoy life, and treasure my family and family heritage. But I am realistic and realize that attaining and maintaining happy families takes a lot of planning and cooperation. So, I am responding at this time because I would like to share my thoughts at Christmas with you.
After almost 20 years of dealing with psychological problems, and after analyzing the aspects of healthy families I have known, my personal subjective beliefs concur with many mental health scientists who are placing emphasis on promoting healthy behaviors to diminish the likelihood of having problems develop. Psychiatrists and psychologists who have been trained to look at problems that already exist now are working on strategies to help families establish and maintain healthy relationships. A simple analogy might be preventive medicine.
A healthy family, as I see it, is one which has the ability to accept the strengths and weaknesses of its members, has the intuition and cognizance to discuss and solve its problems, and one which invariably gains strength from unity. There will be ups and downs, valleys and peaks, but the family will survive. Regardless of the many problems that are apparent in today’s complex society, I believe a healthy, happy family is worth any price. I support this belief because:
Patients and clients tell me that a happy family is their most valued inheritance.
Patients and clients tell me that they desire a happy, healthy family life above all other lifestyles.
Patients and clients tell me that strengths learned through family adversities prepared them for future problem solving.
I believe we need the stability of family, whether nuclear or extended, to meet the challenges of stress and rapid waves of change in our point in time. It seems to me that in today’s society we are dealing with problems that are, in fact, more severe and difficult to handle. There is the potential for less control in many aspects of our lives. But my maximizing the strengths of our individual personalities and family bonds, peace of mind and security can be increased.
Next week we will discuss characteristics of happy, healthy families. By concentrating on the positive and wellness of the family as a whole, we can improve and correct some of our deficiencies.
In the meantime, consider these aspects of family ties:
• A network of strong supporting unity
• Demonstration of love and affections.
Family members who have a habit of touching, hugging and kissing reinforce and build upon this feeling of love. Don’t forget the three most important words in the human vocabulary when responding to one another. Simply say, “I love you.” It mends a lot of hurts.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984
This is a time of reflection for me. I have been writing “Psychology and You” for a little more than a year now. For quite some time my friends, colleagues, patients, and some of the readers have urged me to write my personal views about the necessary ingredients for making a happy, healthy family.
As my name Hap may suggest, I am generally optimistic, enjoy life, and treasure my family and family heritage. But I am realistic and realize that attaining and maintaining happy families takes a lot of planning and cooperation. So, I am responding at this time because I would like to share my thoughts at Christmas with you.
After almost 20 years of dealing with psychological problems, and after analyzing the aspects of healthy families I have known, my personal subjective beliefs concur with many mental health scientists who are placing emphasis on promoting healthy behaviors to diminish the likelihood of having problems develop. Psychiatrists and psychologists who have been trained to look at problems that already exist now are working on strategies to help families establish and maintain healthy relationships. A simple analogy might be preventive medicine.
A healthy family, as I see it, is one which has the ability to accept the strengths and weaknesses of its members, has the intuition and cognizance to discuss and solve its problems, and one which invariably gains strength from unity. There will be ups and downs, valleys and peaks, but the family will survive. Regardless of the many problems that are apparent in today’s complex society, I believe a healthy, happy family is worth any price. I support this belief because:
Patients and clients tell me that a happy family is their most valued inheritance.
Patients and clients tell me that they desire a happy, healthy family life above all other lifestyles.
Patients and clients tell me that strengths learned through family adversities prepared them for future problem solving.
I believe we need the stability of family, whether nuclear or extended, to meet the challenges of stress and rapid waves of change in our point in time. It seems to me that in today’s society we are dealing with problems that are, in fact, more severe and difficult to handle. There is the potential for less control in many aspects of our lives. But my maximizing the strengths of our individual personalities and family bonds, peace of mind and security can be increased.
Next week we will discuss characteristics of happy, healthy families. By concentrating on the positive and wellness of the family as a whole, we can improve and correct some of our deficiencies.
In the meantime, consider these aspects of family ties:
• A network of strong supporting unity
• Demonstration of love and affections.
Family members who have a habit of touching, hugging and kissing reinforce and build upon this feeling of love. Don’t forget the three most important words in the human vocabulary when responding to one another. Simply say, “I love you.” It mends a lot of hurts.
Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1984