This blog tackles a different subject to the themes I usually go for when writing my blogs. This time, I wished to share with you my passions, my experiences and reflections around what has led me to this profession. Naturally, I was not born knowing that I wanted to become a family therapist. Neither was I born into a time where therapy was as culturally accepted and openly advertised as it is nowadays, so for a long period of time I was not even aware of or informed about the profession.
While I was not born knowing that I wanted this line of work, the value of relationships was one that I have learnt to hold very dear to me. Growing up, I have learnt the impact that the struggles or experiences of one family member could have on the rest of the family and also, equally important, the impact of how the family unit responds and adapts to these in return. As a person who is also very interested in the theme of creativity, I have also learnt to believe in how creative and resourceful a family can be when dealing with difficult situations especially when the members become aware of their own resourcefulness and when the family context supports the different members to make use of their strengths.
For a number of years, I worked within the field of community mental health. In this employment, I worked with individuals with a diagnosis of mental illness, who were going through a journey of rehabilitation. There I started to learn more about the value of working with the whole family or with any other persons that the clients held dear to them. I started to witness how our clients could flourish through meaningful relationships with those who accepted and valued them, and how these relationships gave our clients an added sense of worth through what they could also contribute to the relationship. This experience, amongst others, sparked my interest for specializing in the field of family therapy. Family therapy is a profession that allows me to be an instrument that supports persons who for various reasons, could be experiencing distress in their relationships. It provides me with the space to collaborate with clients with the aim of uncovering their resources and tapping into these for the clients to move closer to their aims and wishes.
Rebecca Cassar is a Family Therapist practicing the Systemic Approach. She specializes in offering therapy to families, couples and individuals who are experiencing distress in their relationships. She can be contacted on rebecca@willingness.com.mt or call us on 79291817.