What are common issues addressed in family counselling?

Look, I’ve been doing this for a long time. And if there’s one thing I know for sure, it’s that families are complicated. Really complicated.

When people walk into Antoinetta’s office in Brisbane – whether it’s North Lakes or Robina – they’re usually at their wit’s end. They’ve tried talking it out at home. They’ve tried ignoring the problems. Nothing’s working.

So what are the big issues that bring families through those doors?

## **Communication (Or the Complete Lack of It)**

This is the big one. Always has been, always will be.

Families stop talking. Or worse – they talk AT each other instead of WITH each other. Dad’s on his phone. Mum’s stressed from work. The kids… well, the kids have learned that nobody’s really listening anyway.

I’ve seen families who literally haven’t had a real conversation in months. They live in the same house but they’re strangers.

## **The Teenage Years (God Help Us All)**

Parents think they know what’s coming. They don’t.

Your sweet 12-year-old turns 13 and suddenly you’re living with someone you don’t recognize. Doors slam. Eyes roll. Every conversation becomes a battle.

And here’s the thing – the teens are struggling too. They’re not trying to be difficult (okay, maybe sometimes they are). But mostly? They’re just trying to figure out who they are. And that’s terrifying.

## **Blended Family Drama**

Step-parents. Step-siblings. His kids, her kids, their kids.

It’s like trying to merge two completely different operating systems. Everyone has different rules, different expectations, different ways of doing things. And nobody wants to be the bad guy.

“You’re not my real dad!” – if you’ve heard that one, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

## **Money Stress (The Silent Killer)**

Nobody likes talking about money. But when the bills pile up, when someone loses a job, when there’s disagreement about spending… it bleeds into everything.

Kids pick up on it even when parents think they’re hiding it well. They don’t. Trust me.

## **Grief and Loss**

When families lose someone – whether it’s death, divorce, or just distance – everyone grieves differently.

Some people want to talk about it constantly. Others shut down completely. Kids might act out because they don’t have the words for what they’re feeling.

And sometimes? Sometimes families get stuck in their grief. They can’t move forward because they’re all grieving in different directions.

## **The “Perfect Family” Pressure**

Social media has made this so much worse.

Everyone’s comparing their messy reality to someone else’s highlight reel. Parents feel like failures because their family doesn’t look like the ones on Instagram. Kids feel the pressure too.

Newsflash: those perfect families? They’re probably in counselling too.

## **Old Wounds That Won’t Heal**

Sometimes it’s stuff from way back. Things that happened years ago but never got resolved.

Maybe dad had an affair. Maybe mum said something hurtful during an argument five years ago. Maybe there’s trauma from someone’s childhood that’s affecting how they parent now.

These things fester. They don’t just go away on their own.

## **Different Parenting Styles**

One parent’s the disciplinarian. The other’s the fun one.

One believes in strict rules. The other thinks kids need freedom to make mistakes.

And the kids? They figure out pretty quick how to play one against the other. Smart little things, aren’t they?

## **Mental Health Struggles**

Depression. Anxiety. ADHD. Trauma.

When one family member is struggling with mental health, it affects everyone. Parents might not know how to help. Siblings might feel ignored because the struggling child needs so much attention.

It’s nobody’s fault. But it’s everyone’s challenge.

## **The Bottom Line**

Here’s what I tell families: You’re not broken. You’re human.

Every family has issues. Every. Single. One.

The difference between families that thrive and families that just survive? The thriving ones ask for help.

They walk into places like Antoinetta’s office and they do the work. It’s not easy. It’s not quick. But it’s worth it.

Because at the end of the day, these people are your people. They’re the ones who’ll be there when everything else falls apart. They’re worth fighting for.

Even when they drive you absolutely mental.

*Especially* when they drive you absolutely mental.

That’s usually when you need help the most.