Listening to Families’ Needs in Order to Give Voice to Resources
Francesca Moccia, Angelica Giannetti
This paper examines families’ perceived needs and the significance they attribute to potential psychological support. The objective of this analysis was to develop reflections tailored to these needs, in order to activate resources, optimize interventions, and maximize outcomes in a short time frame, thus providing concrete responses to families-especially in light of the public health emergency and issues related to the developmental age (Vicari & Di Vara, 2021; Lancini, 2023; Nardone et al., 2024). This work specifically investigates the reasons, motivations, and expectations that may trigger the perceived need for help, without excluding the possibility that such needs could be met even through a single session (Cannistrà & Piccirilli, 2018). The results of the study show that, for most families, seeking help makes sense when dealing with communication problems, with the predominant expectation of receiving practical guidance. Moreover, by evaluating significant differences in perceived needs, three types of perspectives emerged: «prism» perspectives, typical of sensitive, experienced, and potentially collaborative families; «pyramid» perspectives, characterized by sensitivity to various issues and a strong focus on the expectation of practical guidance; and «sphere» perspectives, where, regardless of the reason for seeking help, families clearly find it meaningful to work together as a unit.
Keywords
Families, Psychological needs, Perspectives, Single session, Resources.