Perhaps, one of the greatest reasons for referral to counselling support from social work is love related. Described in so many different ways, love is an idiosyncratic concept that defies any one definition.
In my view, love is best understood phenomenologically, that is experientially. In simple terms, love is what love does. Most people speak about loving experiences with partners in terms of the ways they behave and interact with one another.
Clinical complaints usually relate to matters of disrespect, neglect, betrayal, or disloyalty. Failed loving relationships are extremely difficult to maneuver for everyone. It is clinically significant when people have little to no emotional reactions to failed relationships. It may in fact signify that love was not truly present despite words, actions, or views to the contrary.
The emotional bond between two people in love is truly a sacred experience. It is mysterious, and often misunderstood by other people looking into or at the couple. In our modern world, notions of love have morphed in diverse ways, all the while remaining true to the fundamental essences of the human heart.
Traditional moral boundaries amhave shifted. Divorce, serial monogamous relationships, same-sex unions, and affairs with married people seem more widely accepted. Yet, the pain and devastation created by experiences of rejection, abandonment, and betrayal remain the same. Separation and divorce is one of the main reasons for referral to Clinical Social Work in Child and Family settings. The impacts in families and on children are disheartening.
In my view, families are worth fighting for and are quite resilient. Founded on true love, most people have the capacity to overcome and heal what are common obstacles on a journey of a lifetime together.
What is your role as social worker with couples who are at an impasse in their marriage due to an emotional or sexual affair ?
What are your views about the healing capacity of love? Are you triggered by stories shared in session, such that your own relationship is questioned at a later time?
#wellness #marriage #family #health #cheating #love #care #children