Mashavara 23.0 Family Counselling During Covid 19

Family Counselling during Covid-19

Minimise the risks of violence and conflict for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PIDD).

Settling in a “New Normal” can be a stressful experience for a family and especially for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (PIDD). Covid-19 raises the risks of violent conflict and we know war and disease feed upon each other.

For a moment in history, the Vedic and traditional joint family system was prevalent. Grandfathers, Fathers, sons and daughters, grandchildren of more than 4-5 generations used to live in one house and the oldest man (Grihapathi) was considered as Head of the family. The persons with disabilities in the families were responsible for all members.

The life span of 100 years of a man was divided into four equal parts of 25 years each and each 25 years people were to adhere to dharmas of that particular age and each such part was known as Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha and Sanyasa. Women were respected and protected. The persons with disabilities were accepted in all stages of development and included into the training.

In modern times, and we can say, in popular culture, gradually, the family is often depicted as awkward, boring, and a waste of time. Indeed, many people these days find it troublesome to remain in contact with their own siblings, never mind their more distant relatives and the situation becomes more pathetic if a family member has intellectual and developmental disabilities. Taking the effort to stay in touch with family having disabled members is often seen as a burden.

We always promise total freedom and independence but never any talk about the consequences of leaving our family network behind.

The New Normal is more terrible and the lessons we all learned in this coronavirus outbreak are profound. Many families have led to less social interaction among members, especially with disabled members, because virtual, digital and automation initiatives, for both social and survival stability, accelerated at a shocking speed.

The situation presents both a challenge and an opportunity for family and community. Family members will find a way to meet their needs digitally, through their family or relatives or parents or spouse or friends that do a better job.

The fulfilment of the third level of human needs of social and feelings of belongingness will be ruptured especially for the persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The human being and the whole community including persons with disabilities will feel a crisis of love and belongingness.

I feel new normal should be more simplest and valuable for the friendship, intimacy, trust, and acceptance, receiving and giving affection and love.

Family counselling may help for all but especially for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities to develop a necessary personal affiliation, being part of a group (family, friends, work). Yes! A counsellor or therapist can help families cope with issues such as violence, special care for the special person, mental health, conflict, culture shock, separation or divorce etc.

The family counselling in the case of intellectual and developmental disabilities we should follow the process, irrespective of who all constitute the family and its socio-cultural and educational background, and whosoever be the index client and the nature of problem concerned, the goal of the counselling process should be improve family functioning, and so to help the PIDD client. Whatever their method, family counsellors have the following goals for family counselling:

• Improved communication,

• Improved autonomy for each member,

• Improved agreement about roles,

• Reduced conflict, and

• Reduced distress in the PIDD client

Family counselling is especially helping the persons to esteem for oneself. Dignity, achievement, mastery, independence will improve after counselling. The family counselling will not only help the persons with disabilities it will also open the dialogue within the family members to improve the desire for respect, status and values of each other.