Repairing Family Relationships

March 1, 2025

McCall’s Director of Family Services, Leann Mitchell, LCSW, shares her insights about relationships within families, starting with the relationship between caregivers and children.

“The inherent human need from the moment we’re born is to seek a connection with someone we know who will be there,” Leann notes. Caregivers are “the safe, secure base that a child is always seeking to return to.”

Relationships can rupture.

In some instances, factors such as substance use or mental health challenges may have an impact. They may prevent the caregiver from maintaining consistency, or from being a safe, secure base. That may leave the child trying to figure out how to operate while experiencing ruptures in the relationship.

A child may not be sure about who they can return to or how that person is going to interact with them. Over time, these ruptures impact their ability to operate in a healthy way not only with their caregiver, but with other people in their life.

It takes time and patience.

In her day-to-day work, Leann encounters real-life situations in which the caregiver is struggling with substance use. “They need to seek treatment to get themselves on a better path for their overall wellness and recovery,” Leann explains. In such cases, the child may need to go and spend some time with another person in the family or be outplaced into foster care. Once their parent or caregiver is ready to come back, sometimes there’s a lack of understanding about the time and patience necessary to repair the relationship with their child.

The Family Services program at McCall helps people understand that a rupture in a family bond is often about a lack of trust in someone. Once trust is broken, it takes time to build it up again.

Progress, not perfection.

When it comes to moving forward in any family relationship, it’s about “progress, not perfection,” Leann asserts. “This is not the time to place more shame or blame on the mistakes we’ve made. Take a moment to step into the other person’s shoes.” Leann recommends practicing healthy communication and expressing our own needs and boundaries.

“We’re all on a journey and we’re all working through it,” says Leann. “Caregivers, parents, spouses, partners, coworkers—none of us are expected to be perfect in life.” That’s why it’s important to self-reflect and then strive to progress forward in a positive way.

If you or a loved one needs support in repairing a family relationship, McCall’s Family Services Department is here to help. Visit the Family Services section of McCall’s website or call our main office at 860.496.2100 to make an appointment.

Learn more on WZBG

Miss the interview? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

Visit our pressroom to hear Leann Mitchell, LCSW, Director of Family Services, discuss family relationships, including the challenges caregivers in recovery may face.

Click on the image to listen to the full FM 97.3 WZBG interview.

Return to our Blog for more inspiring stories and insights.