FAMILY THERAPY and Counseling
Is your family experiencing hurt and pain?
Family counseling opens up communication about feelings or undisclosed thoughts, helps families learn new skills to communicate more clearly, and helps members of the family see the other’s perspectives to find peaceful solutions. In the counseling sessions, each individual learns and can practice communication skills to stay calm and listen to each other. In the beginning, the family therapist may have to be the person ensuring everyone is able to express their concerns and offer solutions. The goal for ending family therapy is to be able to have calm conversations and find solutions to any issue without assistance from the counselor. Family Therapy will help families understand boundaries, listening skills, peaceful ways of addressing issues, acceptance of each other’s needs and developmental abilities, as well as the importance of creating a family environment where this is possible.
Families grow and learn together
Individual vs. Family Therapy?
Family Therapy
Family therapy or counseling can be used in addition to individual therapy. The goal is to improve relationships by communicating with each other and learning how to resolve conflicts. Families are systems and sometimes the only way to really address family issues or relationship issues is to be in counseling with each other to communicate and create solutions. There are times when the family may need to meet in subsets because of age. The therapist will usually meet with the parents first if it is a rule or discipline issue, so the children can hear a consistent message that has been agreed to prior to meeting with the children for counseling. At other times, there may be conflict that must be resolved between two people before meeting as a whole to allow the family session to be productive.
Individual Therapy
Individual sessions for each family member may be necessary to allow for honesty and the space for the individual to consider their own point of view, values, beliefs, needs, and desires before sharing with their family or partner. A family therapist will give equal time to each individual and will assure the individual counseling content stays confidential. The therapist may also help the client understand the need to share with their partner or family their concerns or address a “family secret” in a safe way. She will provide practice and support for the individual if something must be communicated in the family counseling session. The family counselor may recommend an individual have a separate counselor for individual work before continuing family therapy if there are deep issues needing many session to address fully before any progress can be made in the family sessions.