What type of sibling/ family needs a mediator to run a family meeting? Exactly what type of sibling/ family needs a facilitator to manage their family meeting? Siblings in a dysfunctional family which need a mediator to run a family meeting. Sibling in a “ nearly normal’ family ( see photo above) need a facilitator.
If you have sibling family problems and want to have a family meeting, let’s look a nearly normal family and see if you fit in this category, when you hold a family meeting.
This type of family is generally compatible, cohesive, productive, and stable.
“Nearly Normal Aging Families” are usually close-knit, well integrated, high functioning, and sufficiently resilient. With the help of a facilitator, these sibling family members can communicate well enough to help make wise decisions about complex family/sibling problems.
Nearly normal families accept differences of opinion as inevitable, realizing that settling family disagreements is not only an ordinary part of decision-making, but also an opportunity to expand their individual thinking, which enables them to make better-informed decisions. They “lock arms” to address the problems they encounter and have, in fact, locked arms to solve problems all of their lives.
What is a facilitator- the professional who should run the family meeting for a nearly normal family? A facilitator is a person who accepts the responsibility to help the “ nearly normal “ siblings address the problems that prompted the family meeting. He or she can develop the agenda and guide siblings as they talk about options and strategies to solve the difficulty at hand. She or he can help participants stick to the agenda so decisions and plans for solving problems are made within the time available. The facilitator does not make the decisions. Rather, she or he helps the siblings state their opinions, ensure that all are heard, and move forward toward decisions that are acceptable by all. Good choices for facilitators are social workers or Licensed Clinical Social Worker LCSW ‘s from local agencies, professional geriatric care managers (GCM’s), marriage and family therapists, (MFT’s) physicians, and members of the clergy or trained psychologists.
Tomorrow I will cover a dysfunctional sibling family and a mediator, who is the professional who should run a sibling family meeting for a very difficult or dysfunctional family.
Very soon, on my website, my new book Sibling Family Meetings will be available. Keep checking.