We need energy to cope with the demands of life. Support may come from friends or colleagues but our relationships with our family members are the key determiner of our emotional well-being.

Creating Great Family Relationships is a seminar by Lynn Leahy, speaker with an international reputation who has worked with people at every level in organisations throughout Europe, the USA, Australia and more recently Asia.

In this workshop she draws on her experience over the last twenty – five years as a marital and family counsellor and from her work as a mediator. Lynn offers suggestions about how to prevent unhealthy conflict developing within the family and also offers tips for how to handle it in effective way if it does arise.

The seminar

A conflict of ideas in a family at times can be healthy – everyone does not always have to agree. Problems develop however when that conflict of ideas turns into tension and the relationship becomes strained. Hopefully you already have good relationships with most of your family members. This session will give you the opportunity to reflect on key relationships – with your partner, your children, your own parents / brothers / sisters / and any wider family members important to you. You will be encouraged to assess which relationships are just about perfect as they are and which (from your perspective) could be better.

Objectives

• To explore the key skills, knowledge and personal awareness that will help the development of great family relationships.
• To consider why criticism is such a sensitive issue and offer guidance on how best to give and receive criticism within the family.
• To understand and avoid the dangers of “the drama triangle”.

There was a high level of practical information offered during this seminar however it also was an interactive session. We  worked in pairs and small groups, to reflect on and personalise the material that Lynn offered.

IWAKL is sponsoring the Rumah Anak Kesayangan orphanage this year so all the profit from this event goes to them.

Testimonials

“Lynn, your material was excellent and presented with a style of humility that Kiwis respect. The scores as shown in the attachment are among the highest that our group members have given to any of the presenters that we have had. When you return to New Zealand we would be very keen for you to present to our group again. Richard Maher, TEC Chairman, New Zealand.

“Our son as you know attended your session and told me that the next day he successfully applied your teaching to a particularly difficult situation he faced with one of his more aggressive rugby players. Thank you.  Graeme Fear, TEC Chairman, Australia.

 View video from the seminar