Often times, our lives intersect with others from different cultures, and this can cause a unique set of factors in our lives that we aren’t always equipped to deal with. Families today may be challenged by a blending of cultures and a mixture of family traditions that are beyond their comprehension and can cause unrest, stress, and frustration.
Two examples of where these challenges may appear include intercultural marriages and intergenerational differences within a family.
- Intercultural Marriages: When two people come together from different cultures, significant cultural differences may be brought into the marriage. Caught up in the overwhelming sense of love and excitement, these differences may take a back seat, at least initially. At some point, you may need to address them in order to stay together. If children are involved, whether brought into the marriage or born of the marriage, additional considerations are involved as well.
- Intergenerational cultural differences: Cultural differences can occur when a family consists of one generation which grows up in a different country or holds on to their heritage and children or grandchildren who live in the current culture. Conflict can occur over these differing cultural values, disrupting harmony in the family.
Cross-cultural challenges bring a new dimension to marriages and families, and often times are not easily resolved on their own. This is where counseling can help.
Counseling can be for anyone in a family where cultural differences reside and can include:
- Pre-marriage counseling;
- Marriage Counseling;
- Family Counseling; and
- Individual Counseling
If you are experiencing these types of cultural challenges in your life, contact the caring professionals at Family Restoration Counseling Services located here in the Greater Dallas area. Working together, we’ll look for ways to acknowledge and respect these cultural differences, as well as learn to work with them for the good of the couple, the family, and the individual.