Have you ever experienced culture shock? Perhaps when traveling to a foreign country, you were thrown off guard by the language, customs and even cuisine of the people. While culture shock is fairly common when traveling the world, Dr. Robin says you can also experience culture shock when dealing with other families. "Your family and mine, we have a culture all of our own—different ways of doing things," she says.

Some families are quiet, while others are judgmental; some shy away from conflict, while others enjoy stirring the pot and creating drama, Dr. Robin says. Some families talk frankly about health issues, marital problems and substance abuse, while others tend to ignore the subjects. "Once you can really identify the nature and personality of your own family, it will help you in ways you could not imagine," she says.

Decide which things you want your family to keep and which things you want to leave behind so you can create a new culture that Dr. Robin says "creates the life and builds the best life that you could live."