What does an ideal family gathering look like for you? Is it a get-together peppered with laughter, smiles, and affirmations of love? Maybe you picture yourselves eating Sunday dinner and sharing stories with your siblings while your kids play peacefully in the backyard. Perhaps nobody fights, everyone agrees, and you all understand each other perfectly.
Unfortunately, this is not usually the reality and your family gatherings may look different. Dinners may be wrought with backhanded comments, sarcasm, and maybe even flying objects when politics come up. The kids might fight like cats and dogs or maybe your uncle has a little too much to drink and bluntly expresses his opinion about a new family member.
Family relationships are unique, complicated, and multifaceted — just like each family member. When several individuals are joined by blood or marriage, you can’t always control whether they’re all compatible. What you can control, however, is the way you interact and face challenges together.
Your family may not be perfect but that doesn’t mean your relationships have to be dysfunctional. It’s possible to exist together without conflict and fully support one another through difficult times. If your family needs help reconnecting with one another or overcoming a major challenge, family counseling at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL can help.
Should We Consider Family Therapy?
Family therapy can help you resolve major conflicts or work through a painful experience. But family counseling is not only for families in crisis or those on the brink of disaster. Working with a therapist can help your family form effective problem-solving strategies and develop strong communication skills. Whether you’re facing acute problems or chronic discord, family therapy can help your family system work through some of its toughest issues.
There is no wrong reason to pursue family therapy but some of the most common reasons families seek counseling include the following:
- Communication problems
- Unresolved conflict
- Differing opinions or beliefs
- Behavioral problems in children
- Mental health issues or illness
- Substance abuse and addiction
- Marital problems or divorce
- Blending families
- Financial strain or changes
- Grief, loss, or trauma
Family therapy can bring family members closer together and cope with specific issues that cause discord between you. If you and your family are ready to reconnect and move forward as a cohesive unit, consider pursuing family therapy sessions at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL.
How Does Counseling Help? The Benefits of Family Therapy
When you decide to work with a family therapist, you’ll begin the process of resolving acute issues and addressing your family members’ immediate concerns. Through therapy sessions, you may learn how to communicate effectively, solve problems together, set healthy boundaries, and maintain healthy relationships long term.
During the course of family therapy sessions, each family member may receive individualized attention that benefits the group as a whole. One-on-one sessions can help your therapist uncover underlying issues and pinpoint the source of conflict or distress, helping you all better understand the challenges you are facing.
Occasionally, issues like illness, estrangement, substance abuse, or incarceration prevent one or more family members from attending therapy sessions. These issues can also be a source of pain for families. The fact that the affected person is absent doesn’t mean your counseling sessions will be ineffective. Attending members will still be able to address their feelings, the way that individual’s situation is affecting them, and begin healing.
The benefits of family therapy extend far beyond repairing or improving your relationships. Families often find that they are successful in other areas of their life as a result of the lessons learned during therapy sessions. For example, it’s common to develop skills relating to better communication, teamwork, active listening, and problem-solving.
Connect with a therapist or counselor at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL to find out how family counseling can help you.
Schedule Therapy for Your Family at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL
If your family is ready to take the next steps in reconnecting and understanding each other, the mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL are ready to help. We are accepting new clients and can often accommodate same-day or next-day appointments.
Does your family have a hectic schedule or limited free time together? Thriveworks offers weekend and evening appointments to make it easier to schedule group therapy sessions. You can also connect with a family therapist online, with appointments offered by phone or video chat. Your family’s time is valuable, so you can rest assured that your appointments will start on time, and we maintain a flexible cancellation policy for the times when things unexpectedly change.
There is nothing quite like family and the unconditional ties that bind you. When you and your family are ready to grow and thrive together, let a family therapist at Thriveworks in Birmingham, AL guide you.
