Cross Cultural Marriage Counselling
In many parts of the world these days, including the Lower Mainland, more and more couples are bringing cultures together under the same roof. There is great richness to families and couples who join from different cultural backgrounds. There may also be challenges presented in these relationships that might not be noticed in marriages where partners come from more similar backgrounds.
What starts off as an exciting journey where we explore and cherish one another’s differences can develop into a sense of loss as one or both partners begins to distance from their native language, customs, or spiritual practice. Unless we find a way to make transparent these losses and changes, intercultural couples can find themselves wondering what happened to all of the good stuff!
Different cultures have intricate belief systems about many things which are often only revealed in the presence of another set of cultural beliefs. Some of these include what constitutes selfishness, the notion of self confidence as compared to arrogance, how to respond to different emotions like anger, and the idea of identity and individuation in families, to name a few.
Parenting in cross cultural couples can also present wonderful opportunities for children, families, and communities as well as significant hurdles. This is a time when intentional conversations about family customs and cultural ideals will decrease friction, increase understanding, and benefit everyone involved. While most of us have ‘taken for granted’ knowledge associated with how we were raised and never really give much thought to these issues, i.e., how we celebrate holidays, the way we acknowledge special events in people’s lives, cross cultural couples and families think about these areas all the time.
At Jericho Counselling, we have several counsellors who have experience supporting and working with cross cultural couples and their families. Facilitating discussion and learning within couples and families with cross cultural influences will often allow for greater understanding and harmony in relationships. The resolution of long standing problems can often be addressed with just a few conversations from a different perspective and our counsellors are ready to help.
Please click the following links to take you to more information about the issues that may be resolved through counselling.
Marriage & Couples Counselling Vancouver
Counselling for Separating / Divorcing Couples
