FAMILY COUNSELING SERVICE

Although the phenomenon of marriage in Turkey still preserves its value and importance, there is a differentiation in value judgments, understanding and perceptions regarding the continuation of marriage. Today, although traditional mechanisms such as getting help from family elders are working in the solution of marital problems, it is seen that these relations have begun to dissolve, and the personal efforts or efforts of couples to get support from mediators, Social Service Centers or experts dealing with family problems are insufficient.

Considering the responsibilities that divorce will bring to individuals and the difficulty of compensating the damages it will cause in the social structure, the role, importance and necessity of investments in marriage in creating a healthy family and healthy society are obvious.

In this context;
According to the data of the researches carried out by the General Directorate of Family and Community Services and the 2012 data of TURKSTAT; In our country, 39.6% of divorces occur within the first five years of marriage. It reveals the importance of providing counseling and support services to families against problems that may arise in these critical periods.

In the Family Structure Research in Turkey, in order to find out what the attitudes of the spouses are when there is a problem between the spouses, married individuals are asked, “When you have a significant problem with your spouse, from whom or where do you first consider getting support?” question was posed. Accordingly, it is seen that 62 percent of families throughout Turkey do not receive help from anyone in such a situation. The rate of receiving this assistance from family elders is 22 percent. The rate of those who stated that they talked to specialist institutions or individuals is only 2.7 percent. (This rate is 2 percent in the Reasons for Divorce survey).

In the research on family court practices (Family Court Practice in Turkey and Evaluation of the Practice), it has been revealed that psychological help of spouses who come to file a divorce case can be effective in solving problems between spouses without filing a lawsuit.

Among these structures, counseling, guidance, training, etc. for possible problems that may arise before and after crisis periods such as divorce. It is important to disseminate studies on family support services such as Family and Divorce Process Counseling Service; It can be grouped under three headings as Pre-Divorce Counseling, Support and Counseling Services in the Divorce Process and Post-Divorce Support and Counseling works.

Through the expert personnel in the Provincial Directorates of Family and Social Policies and Social Service Centers in 81 provinces providing the service; Counseling support is provided to spouses that will encourage them to use the opportunity to reconstruct their deteriorated relationships and the problems they will experience during the divorce process, and to review their current situation and reevaluate their decisions.

The services provided for families who have come to the point of divorce due to communication problems within the family but apply for family counseling with a joint decision can be listed as follows:

• To gain intra-family communication skills,
• Conflict resolution and family support,
• To direct individuals who are thought to have a psychiatric disorder to health institutions for health treatments,
• Counseling the families who came to the point of divorce due to communication problems in the family, in the process of restructuring their systems, as well as solving the problems they experience with their children,
• To provide anger control and counseling services for families sent through the courts,
• Counseling on the problems experienced by single parents after divorce and the regulation of their relations with children.

Do not forget; Every family is special in itself. Therefore, it is not correct to compare our problems with other families. Applying to a family counseling center before it’s too late can help you solve your problems.