One day you’re looking through family photos that hold so many fond memories and can’t help but smile. Then you look up to see a messy kitchen and to hear the kids arguing again. And you realize, you’re not the perfect family you see in those pictures — not by a long shot.
Still, every family has its moments of triumph and trial, and it’s all perfectly normal. But what happens if you start losing sight of the happy family in those photos? What happens when conflict has taken over and the arguments never end? Or when some family members no longer speak?
How do we deal with the fissures when they threaten to break apart the family? In those cases, family counseling can help. Through counseling, families can address the causes of their conflicts and learn ways to resolve them, becoming stronger in the process. If you think counseling would be productive for your family, consider making an appointment at Thriveworks in Arnold, MO.
Who Should Consider Family Therapy?
Families laugh and bicker. They share joy and grief. Doing so is healthy and can deepen their ties. What’s not healthy is when the arguments cause chronic friction, communication breakdowns, resentment, and animosity.
People might consider marriage and family counseling for a variety of reasons. Perhaps marital problems are affecting family relationships. Maybe a stressful event, such as moving or a job loss, has created a rift among family members. It’s possible that one person is showing signs of alcohol or drug abuse, and other family members want to help.
No family’s situations or conflicts are the same. But families do face some common challenges. Some of these might sound familiar:
- Partners don’t agree about parenting methods
- Some family members repeat hurtful actions or behaviors without seeking to change
- A child’s behavioral problems are upsetting the family dynamic
- Rivalries between kids have grown unresolvable
- Members of an extended family live together and one or more people struggle with the situation
- Communication is poor or even non-existent
- One person has anger issues that affect the entire family
Any of these situations can be disruptive and for some families, working through them alone proves too difficult. If that’s the case with your family, consider making an appointment for family counseling at Thriveworks in Arnold, MO.
How Does Family Therapy Work?
Ultimately, the goal of family counseling is to help families learn productive ways to handle their disagreements and create a healthier home environment. Getting there can require a variety of approaches, depending upon the family.
Families come in all shapes and sizes. They can be composed of several generations and have multiple dominant personalities. They can have their own distinct behavior patterns and shorthand languages. To begin the process, it’s important that a family therapist gets to know the specific rules and values through which your family operates.
As part of therapy, your counselor will put together a program specific to your family. The entire family will meet with a therapist, who also might speak with members individually to gain a full perspective of the issues. During these sessions, a counselor will examine the ways your family communicates and attempts to solve problems. They will explore roles within the family and how they might be causing conflict. And they will help you identify strengths and weaknesses within the family as well.
Structural family therapy is one method of counseling that has proven effective for many clients. With this method, a therapist will seek to establish boundaries and healthier routines within the family to resolve communication breakdowns and improve the home life.
Other methods of family therapy include transgenerational therapy, systemic therapy, narrative therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Family counseling doesn’t follow a standard approach. But its goals are common: to improve communication, teach coping methods, and strengthen bonds. If your family could benefit from these outcomes, consider making an appointment for counseling at Thriveworks in Arnold, MO.
Family Therapy Appointments at Thriveworks in Arnold, MO
When the time is right for marriage and family therapy, Thriveworks can help. Our licensed therapists are available online and by phone to address your family’s needs at a time and place that works for you.
Thriveworks offers appointments early or late on weekdays, along with weekend availability, to accommodate your family’s schedule. New clients can often see a provider within 24-48 hours, and online sessions are available for those who prefer them to in-person appointments.
Thriveworks accepts many major insurance plans and offers additional benefits to clients, including a flexible cancellation policy, life coaching, and counselor Q&As.
Families are precious and imperfect. If yours could benefit from a trained, third-party perspective, consider calling Thriveworks in Arnold, MO, for an appointment to see a family therapist.
