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763 people sought family therapy help in Washington in the last year

Discover how starting family therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

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Starting Family therapy

What is family therapy?

Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.

How does family therapy work?

Thriveworks family therapists in Bellingham, WA usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.

What is the most effective family therapy?

The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.

How do I know if my family needs therapy?

This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.

What is included in family therapy?

In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.

What is the success rate of family therapy?

Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.

Is family therapy conducted in person or online?

Thriveworks therapists in Bellingham, WA offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long does family therapy last?

Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.

Need more help deciding?

Family members know each other in a way no one else quite does. They can be the people you share DNA with, or they can be the people that chose each other, through adoption or circumstance.

No matter its makeup, your family has probably had its fair share of highs and lows. Of course, disagreements, bickering, and tension are natural for any group of people. But sometimes, the hard times can persist and start to put a strain on your family. You may notice that disagreements end with a sense of resentment or that tension remains long after the conflicts have settled.

If your family is facing a hard time, know that there is hope for resolution. The licensed professionals at Thriveworks in Bellingham, WA understand the complications and struggles of family relationships, and they’re prepared to help you with them today.

What Problems Can Family Counseling Help Solve?

Family therapy is designed to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and help families work through difficult times. You may feel like your problem is too complicated or confusing for a therapist to fix. Or maybe you feel embarrassed because your issue feels too small to be worthy of a family therapist’s time.

Either way, you can rest assured that our professionals have helped countless families deal with issues ranging from mild to severe, short-term to chronic.

Some common issues that bring families to therapy include:

  • Breakdowns in communication and respect
  • Prolonged conflict
  • Big changes or life transitions
  • Divorce or separation
  • Lack of boundaries
  • Dealing with financial strain
  • Loss or grief
  • Substance abuse
  • Mental illness
  • Parenting disagreements
  • Behavioral problems
  • Acclimating to a step-family dynamic

While family therapy is, by nature, therapy for multiple family members, it is not essential that every member of your family attend. If you’re concerned about who should or shouldn’t attend, you can always start with a one-on-one session to explain your situation and identify a course of action that makes sense for your family.

If you’re concerned with the logistics of bringing everyone together in one place, our counselors and therapists at Thriveworks in Bellingham, WA provide online options for sessions, either by phone or video chat.

The Types and Benefits of Family Therapy

The type of therapy you receive will likely depend on your family’s specific issues and goals in undergoing treatment together. Though family therapy tends to be short-term in nature, it is designed to give you the tools for long-term solutions.

Some of the most common types of therapy used during family therapy appointments include:

  • Family systems therapy: This form of therapy treats the family as a unit in which each member’s actions and behaviors impact the rest of the unit. As such, family interactions are addressed by looking at communication patterns and conflicts within the unit and finding ways to work through these conflicts as a group.
  • Supportive family therapy: This approach creates an open and supportive environment for family members to discuss their problems and how those issues make them feel. The goal is typically to build trust, understanding, and empathy. This approach tends to work best when an issue impacts the entire family.
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): Also commonly used for individual psychotherapy, CBT focuses on changing unhealthy thought patterns that may be negatively impacting moods, behaviors, or family relationships.
  • Psychodynamic therapy: While psychodynamic therapy is often used during individual therapy, it is sometimes used for family counseling as well. The methodology of this approach is to reduce conflict by uncovering the underlying problems that plague a family. Once these underlying issues are brought to the surface, families are better able to work through their difficulties more openly.

Though the details of these approaches differ, all are designed to foster and rekindle closeness and understanding in a family unit. Over time, clients learn how to practice empathy, communicate effectively, and work through their issues in a collaborative way. While this can be difficult to do on your own, our licensed mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Bellingham, WA are standing by to provide guidance along the way.

Begin Working With a Thriveworks Professional in Bellingham, WA

To start addressing your family’s issues, consider calling us today at Thriveworks in Bellingham, WA. We accept most major forms of insurance and offer self-pay rates for our appointments for those paying out of pocket. We also offer both online and in-person availability with time slots open in the mornings, evenings, and even on the weekends. We also offer a flexible cancellation policy for any last-minute scheduling changes.

If your family members were facing a physical illness, you wouldn’t hesitate to get them the professional care they need. The mental health of your family doesn’t have to be any different. Give us a call today to set up an appointment with one of our counselors or therapists at Thriveworks in Bellingham, WA today.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Bellingham therapists and counselors accept 19 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Blue Cross Blue Shield | Anthem (Blue Card)

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth EAP

  • Compsych

  • First Health Network

  • Humana Exchange

  • Humana HMO/POS

  • Humana PPO | EPO | HDHP

  • JP Farley Corporation

  • Medicare WA

  • Multi Plan PHCS

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Self-pay costs at Bellingham
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Thriveworks Bellingham reviews are collected through Thriveworks.com.
★★★★★
Connie Guy is empathetic, supportive and cares about her patients well being. A counselor that truly cares!
Read more Connie Guy is empathetic, supportive and cares about her patients well being. A counselor that truly cares!
Bellingham Dec 2021
Review left on Thriveworks.com

Where to find us

Getting here

Thriveworks Counseling & Psychiatry Bellingham is located on W Magnolia St between Commercial St and Cornwall Ave. We currently share the Crown Plaza building with the Daisy Cafe, among other businesses. Our building is located on the same side of the street and next door to the USPS.

Phone number

(360) 526-6856

Languages spoken by WA providers

  • English
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in PT

Friday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 7:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Monday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 7:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 7:00am - 9:30pm

Shown in PT

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