FAMILY THERAPY

FAMILY THERAPY

Whether they’re related or chosen, a family is generally made up of the most important connections humans have. Societies have usually been founded around family units. We may not have evolved and advanced as we have if we hadn’t had our connection to one another and our innate drive to protect our relatives. Most families, however, will still encounter conflicts and tension. This is when family counseling can be helpful.

How Does
Family Therapy Work?

Family Therapy is a type of counseling supporting family members so they have a better understanding of each other and can provide commonplace aid. Some reasons people might participate in family counseling are disagreements, conflict within the family, someone with an adverse mental health or medical diagnosis, addiction issues in someone close to them, managing relationship problems, remediation efforts, and co-parenting plans.

When life gets difficult, we need one another most, yet our emotional and psychological resources can be depleted during stressful times. Counseling might assist in transitioning from one stage of life to the next.

Choosing a Counselor
or Therapist

Family therapy, or counseling, is often used interchangeably to denote a type of conflict resolution that usually involves talk therapy. This process can help individuals and families work through mental and emotional health issues. However, a therapist may have different credentials than a counselor. Generally, a therapist is more qualified than a counselor. For example, licensed marriage and family therapists will have more expertise in dealing with marriage-related problems. Families may inquire about the specific therapy or psychological techniques available during an initial meeting with their therapist. It’s best to make sure which services your therapist specializes in and whether they are equipped to help you.

What To Expect from
Family Counselors and Therapists

A family therapist may conduct therapy sessions in a variety of ways. During this session, the therapist might speak with the entire household as a group, one-on-one with each member, or a mix of both.

The average therapy session lasts for 50 minutes and is conducted once a week. It’s not uncommon for people to have difficulty discussing their concerns at first, so it’s crucial that the family is comfortable being around the therapist. More often than not, families will try out multiple therapists before finally finding the one who fits them perfectly.

The following are some of the services provided by family therapists:

• Diagnosis and mental health and emotional disorders
• Planning the treatment of any problems
• Psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and children
• Family group therapy

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how many family counseling sessions a family will need. Factors such as the reason for seeking help and whether family members participate during therapy will all play a role in determining the number of sessions required.

What are the Benefits of Family Therapy for Mental Health?

A successful family unit requires the ability to comprehend and recognize the needs of each individual member while simultaneously balancing those with the well-being of the whole group. Family therapy can aid in the fulfillment of all of those needs. A counselor or therapist can be an excellent source for families of any size, and they may assist you regardless of how big or small your problem appears. The benefits of counseling vary from family to family, but they generally include:

• creating healthy boundaries
• defining one’s position in the family
• improving communication
• Improving family dynamics and interpersonal relationships
• providing strength and coping resources for relatives
• addressing negative interactions
• enhancing problem-solving skills

Types of
Family Counseling

Family counseling may take a variety of forms. Typically, the entire family meets with a therapist, sometimes, only part of the family might meet, and in fairly uncommon circumstances, family members may see a therapist separately. Different circumstances also require different expertise. Marriage and family problems need assistance from a specialized marriage and family therapist. Communication in relationships may require counselors who specialize in healing stress and difficult emotions toward a loved one.

Regardless of the challenges, many families find that once they begin talking about their situation openly, things become a lot less intense. This can alleviate negative feelings and help them feel more constructive when facing the issues at hand.

Some family therapists provide house calls or internet sessions. These might be more beneficial to families than office-based meetings. However, other families may want therapy outside of the home setting. Either way, there are several sorts of family therapy available:

Functional Family Therapy

The treatment focuses on families with a child or adolescent who has significant emotional or behavioral difficulties. The child and his family may attend 8–30 weekly sessions together. Families will learn coping skills to deal with the child’s conduct as well as enhance family communication.

Multisystemic Therapy

This method aims to improve emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. It also improves the child’s overall interactions with different social systems, like schools or neighborhoods.

Transgenerational Therapy

Transgenerational therapy involves a therapist examining interactions across generations, such as between parents and children. The goal is to figure out how prior responses to difficulties have influenced the family’s current interactions or issues. It may also assist in predicting future difficulties, as past conduct is an excellent predictor of future behavior.

Brief Strategic Family Therapy

This option aims to alter the patterns of interaction among family members. It’s a brief, time-limited intervention that targets family difficulties that lead to adolescent behavior issues. The majority of short strategic family therapies last 12 to 16 sessions.

Despite being focused on shorter strategic methods, studies have proven that this type of therapy has long-term advantages. Brief strategic family counseling is sometimes more effective than conventional treatment methods like group therapy or those focused on parent training, especially in reducing the risk of extreme situations involving behavioral issues, like arrests and incarceration.

Structural Therapy

The family structure affects individual and interpersonal levels of functioning. It works to establish a healthy, functioning, and balanced family hierarchy in order to provide appropriate boundaries between individuals. The main distinction between structural therapies is that they are concerned with family structure rather than specific behaviors that cause difficulties.

Family Counseling for
Addiction & Substance Abuse

Despite the negative connotation, substance use disorders are common and treatable. At Psyclarity Health, we are aware of the impact mental illness and addiction can have on families. Family counseling is intended to assist family members in improving their home life by making healthy changes to enhance the family atmosphere and better understand the patient’s difficulties on a daily basis. Family therapy aims to mend ties between family members and help families learn about one another so that they may better support one another.

Whatever the case may be, family counseling can help your entire family. It may assist your family in a variety of ways, from dealing with an intervention to receiving rehabilitation services or outpatient therapy. In family therapy, you gain insight on how to effectively support and address the substance use problem. Family counseling is also a healthy location for everyone in the family to speak up and offer real solutions that are tailored to your loved one’s needs.

Family Counseling Services at
Psyclarity Health Treatment Centers

Family is the most important unit in our society. But as we evolve, we struggle more and more with the pressures of life. When things go wrong, we don’t always have the time or resources to get the help they need. Family counseling is an incredibly effective way to address the issues causing problems in your family. Still, it can be expensive and hard to find a therapist available at a time that works for you.

Psyclarity Health offers family therapy at treatment centers across the US. If you or anyone in your family could use some help with addiction or their mental health, we are just a phone call away. Our mental health professionals are available around the clock. We’re here to help your family heal and grow stronger.