The importance of positive communication in the family

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC

The influence of family communication is critical. The interaction between parents and children is essential and constructive.

The interaction between members of a family consists of a system of emotional relationships between people who usually live together and are a source of mutual support.

The family is the first socialization field for an individual, and communication is an essential factor in this process.

When it comes to communication, the "what is transmitted” is as important as the “how it is transmitted”. Communication is very important in the adjustment of children both in childhood and adolescence.

The influence of communication on the adaptation process of both children and adolescents can be positive or negative:

Positive family communication:

•  Positive attitude in life
•  Positive self-esteem, personal self-assessment

The holidays tramp

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC

The Holiday season is a time of great expectations. People plan with anticipation how to make each event a special time to be celebrated and remembered.  Different celebration models reflect each one’s nature: romantic environments, fireplaces, inspiring music on one side; on the other, fireworks, and exotic, exhilarating carnival-like parties. There is not a universal or proper way of celebrating, on the contrary, we are able to create and participate in the kind of festivity that best suits our preferences.

The Holiday season is also a very conflicting time. Some couples find it difficult to match their expectations and families are torn away by competing events and celebrating styles. Even the selection of gifts could become a bitter confrontation. 

Yours, mine... Ours

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC

Family is the basis of society, the space where the personality of each member starts building up, the pillar on which the psychological, social and physical development of humans is determined. Ideally, it gives each of its members a sense of emotional stability and safety.

Nowadays, there are different family structures, and the traditional family —mother, father and children— is now just one of the many possibilities. The concept of family now includes blended families as well.

Blended families, that is, those that come together through a second marriage merging the children of both spouses, face different challenges than the traditional biological family.

• As professionals, in the last years we have seen a variety of blended family families.
• The most frequent concerns these families face are:
• Arguments regarding the different criteria for raising children. Between “my natural children and yours”.

The magic power

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC

The month of May gives us the opportunity to honor and value the importance of the mother figure in the family dynamics, and in her relationship with her kids.

Why are mom’s kisses like magic to heal a kid’s wound?  What is the reason for a child’s sober to be calmed down with a mother’s hug? Why do midnight fears go away when a mother rubs her child’s back?

A mother’s warm smile, the way she looks and values her kids, her encouraging words in hard times, even her listening attitude, produce an amazingly positive effect in a child’s personality. This translate in a higher self-esteem and an embracing sense of comfort.

Is there a reason why the maternal figure generates a state of safety, protection, and comfort in kids? May it be that the mother provides the basis for her kid’s healthy development into adults?

Season of change

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC 

The beginning of each New Year brings hopes and a determination to change that is infused with improved energy.  Once the emotional Profits & Loses of the last year has been settled, each one of us can look into the future with the commitment to improve our life, the lives of those who surround us, and to contribute to the life of our community.  The New Year resolutions are usually overwhelmed with the outstanding changes that we unsuccessfully attempted to produce on previous years and long for to a new chance, though there is always place for new challenges, superior aspirations that we discover along the way.