When you work with a family therapist, sessions could include just you or your entire family seeing the therapist. Family counseling or therapy is typically used for treating a problem of one family member, such as alcoholism, depression, and drug addiction, that’s having a negative impact on the family as a whole. This form of therapy can likewise be used to address family-wide issues like conflicts between children and parents, spouses, and between siblings.
Should You Undergo Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a specific approach to talk therapy or psychotherapy. It is focused more on finding solutions than individual counseling and is typically more specific and shorter, with definite end goals.
Rather than address issues on a one-to-one basis, this kind of therapy recognizes that an issue affects all family members instead of just one family member. This means that to resolve an issue, everyone in the family must come together and give support to the family member who is having issues.
In addition, an issue exclusive to one family member might indicate a bigger and more complicated family issue. If only one family member undergoes treatment, it’s similar to trying to treat a disease’s symptoms without treating the cause of the disease.
What to Expect During Family Counseling
Family counseling has been shown to be effective in treating issues like drug abuse, alcoholism, depression, obesity, and other behavioral issues. It can likewise help resolve the conflict between different family members by teaching them various healthier ways to deal with their issues.
When you go to a family counseling expert in Broomfield, the therapist will meet with your entire family and you individually. After one or two sessions, the therapist will have most likely determined which specific treatment approaches will be best for you and your family.
Family therapists these days use a combination of different methods. This means that if you have an alcohol problem, you might need to undergo family therapy, individual therapy, and work with a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous.
Preparing for Family Therapy
It is imperative to make the family member who is having issues feel that they are not alone. If you’re the parent, you can tell to your child that his problems are your problems and that everyone in the family will support them as they work through their issues.
Do note that you and other family members might also need to take responsibility for your actions, like changing how you treat each other, etc. Family counseling will work best if everyone in the family is willing to go to regular therapy sessions and continue going to every session until the therapist says otherwise or until therapy is completed.
In addition, expect that you’ll be given homework as part of the family therapy, like parents holding their children accountable for their actions, giving them more responsibilities, or communicating with each other in a healthier way.
Family counseling is all about working together as a family to heal and treat any psychological, emotional, or mental issues that are trying to tear your family apart.