The playwright George Bernard Shaw once famously stated, “A happy family is but an earlier heaven.” But no family can be happy all the time. People can strive for paradise ideals, but they’re not always going to meet them. Daily family life is full of misunderstandings, conflicts, and grudges. And that’s completely normal. But if behavioral, emotional, or interpersonal issues endure and begin to interfere with overall family harmony, it may be time to see a family therapist.
Family therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA is an exceptional way to facilitate safe and open communication between family members. It’s not always easy to tell our loved ones how we feel and what we need from each other. A licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) at Thriveworks can help everyone learn how to comfortably express their goals and desires, and then help find solutions to individual and family issues.
Does Family Therapy Work?
Family therapy is an incredibly useful and effective tool in helping family members see each other’s points of view. It can be difficult to do this without an unbiased facilitator because a family’s emotional bonds run so deep. Plus there’s a lot that’s implicit in family dynamics. For instance, people follow unspoken rules and play roles that are never consciously decided on. Family therapists can help bring those unacknowledged forces to light. For all these reasons and more, family therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA can help families find practical solutions to their problems, which may include any of the following:
- Postpartum depression
- Anxiety
- Phobias
- Bedwetting
- Grief
- Financial stress
- Marital stress
- Juvenile delinquency or crime
- Constant conflict
- Emotional or verbal abuse
- Chronic illness
- Caregiver burnout
- Anorexia or bulimia
- Behavioral problems (acting out)
Licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) at Thriveworks can also help families identify areas where one family member may benefit from individual counseling. For example, sometimes one person’s depression or substance abuse issues can affect the whole family unit. In these cases, it’s important to talk through the issue as a family and show all family members how they can support recovery, but the person suffering directly from the issue may need some one-on-one counseling.
What Does a Family Therapy Session Look Like?
Marriage and family therapy sessions are group therapy sessions that include the relevant parties in a therapist-guided discussion about a family’s strengths and weaknesses, among other topics. Family counselors at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA usually begin sessions by asking each individual what their goals are for therapy. Clients give a variety of responses, but here are some goals that family therapists hear about more frequently:
- Reconciliation and healing
- Increasing rapport
- Reduction in conflict and tension
- Forgiving, or asking for forgiveness
- Establishing healthy boundaries
- Managing anger
- Build trust in each other
- Explore misunderstandings
- Find support
How to Decide If Family Counseling Is Right for You
If the daily harmony of your family is suffering and you’ve thrown the kitchen sink at the problem to no avail, then it’s probably time for family therapy. But a family doesn’t have to be in crisis to benefit from some gentle, professional guidance. Short-term family counseling at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA can be a way of preventing bad communication habits to get baked in. Family therapy can be a form of maintenance, teaching family members best practices that will serve them throughout their lives.
If your family members are reluctant to seek counseling and you’ve already tried everything in your power to persuade them, then try going to therapy on your own first. You could probably use the support, and your therapist may have advice for how you can convince your family members to join you.
Support Your Loved Ones with Family Therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA
Booking a session of family therapy at Thriveworks in Berkeley, CA shows your love for and overall commitment to your family. Needing therapy doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you and your loved ones. It means your bonds are strong enough that you’re not afraid to ask for help. The top-rated family therapists at Thriveworks excel at compassionate problem solving.
At Thriveworks, family therapists can meet with clients in-person at the modern office, or online through a secure telehealth connection. Online counseling means that busy family members don’t all have to show up at the same time in the same place. They can do the sessions from their own homes, schools, or offices. Because Thriveworks mental health providers are all fully licensed, nationwide, they accept most major health insurance plans. This makes the premium therapy services at Thriveworks affordable for most families.
After enrolling at Thriveworks, clients receive additional benefits like email and phone access to their providers between sessions. Thriveworks counseling sessions begin on-time or early 97% of the time, so clients rarely have to wait.
Call the Thriveworks office today and you can potentially meet with a counselor as early as tomorrow or the next day. We look forward to matching you to an exceptional family therapist!
