Most people have heard the saying, “You can pick your friends, but you can’t pick your family.” However, even though you don’t get to choose your family members, the amount of love and emotion shared between family members can be very intense. That is why some of the greatest joys and sorrows are exchanged between family members.
We come into this world and immediately become part of a family. The structure and dynamics of this family will influence who we are, what we become and, overall, shape the pattern and direction of our life. Our family shapes our language, customs, ceremonies and the culture that we identify with.
Therefore, when disagreements occur between family members, the level of emotional pain can be very severe. And because one can not exchange family members, an individual who finds him or herself in a confrontation with a family member may feel trapped and helpless. They may often feel powerless to change the situation. Abuse and injustices performed by family members can have long-lasting detrimental effects to our self-image and sense of identity.
Help from a Professional Family Therapist
That is why seeking the help of a professional therapist may be wise in these situations. A trained family therapist or counselor can help identify unhealthy dynamics or patterns of relating within the family structure. While helping to correct this, a family member can also be supportive and seek to meet the needs of each family member. The family therapist offers families a way to adjust unhealth patterns and develop or maintain healthier, more functional ways of relating.
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy and may also be known by other names such as:
- couple and family therapy,
- marriage and family therapy,
- family systems therapy, and
- family counseling.
What Does Family Therapy Address?
Family therapy deals with intimate relationships and involved analyzing the dynamics between those relationships, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, seeing where current dynamics and patterns are hurting members of that relationship and offer alternative structures or systems that can bring resolution and healing to those relationships. Family therapy also sees the family unit as an important part of an individual’s cognitive and emotional well-being.
There are different types of family therapies. But what they all have in common is a belief that, regardless how the presenting problem originally developed or whether family members consider the problem to be an individual or group issue, involving other family members in the resolution of the issue often benefits everyone involved to contributes to long-lasting results.These results are accomplished through the direct participation of the affected family members. A trained family therapist will have the skills to lead discussions in a way that focuses on the strengths, wisdom, and support of the wider system.
While early beginnings of family therapy tended to define a family in narrow terms, the field has evolved to include a broader concept of family. The family is now more commonly defined in terms of supportive, long-term roles and relationships between people whether or not the family members are by blood or marriage.
What Techniques are used in Family Therapy or Counseling?
Family therapist come from various schools of therapeutic practice and utilize a wide variety of methods and techniques. Types of therapies used may include:
- Cognitive Therapy;
- Behavior Therapy;
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy;
- Interpersonal Therapy; or
- Various techniques used in Individual Therapy.
The types of treatment used, and the techniques employed will depend on the specific problems presented by individual family members or the group dynamic of the family as a whole. For example, behavioral and/or emotional problems in children are common reasons to visit a family therapist. While the therapist may use behavioral strategies to address these conduct issues, these behaviors do not exist in a vacuum but within the context of a family’s structure.A trained and experienced family therapist will recognize this and develop a treatment plan that not only addresses the behavior but the family dynamics that may be maintaining the behavior.
What Does a Family Counselor Address?
Besides childhood conduct disorders, an experienced counselor will recognize other disorders or issues that may be the by-product of dysfunction systems within the family. These issues may include:
- Mood Disorders such as depression and anxiety
- Adolescent Rebellious Behavior
- Substance abuse
- LGBTQ issues
- Domestic violence
- Infertility
- Marital conflicts
- Grieving
- PTSD
- Undiagnosed ADHD
In order to treat these and other family issues, therapists must:
- Observe how each family member interacts within the family unit;
- Assess patterns of behaviors associated with the presenting problem;
- Diagnose and treat psychological disorders within a family context;
- Guide clients through transitional crises such as divorce or death;
- Identify dysfunctional and conflicting incentive within the family structure;
- Train family members in effective and constructive communication skills;
- Help replace dysfunctional behaviors with healthy alternatives.
Help is Available Now
Family therapists at Thriveworks are leaders in their field. They are licensed and trained to deal specifically with the issues in your family and intricacies of relationships within them. You can put their expertise and experience to work for you and your family.
Thriveworks family therapists can help you develop the relationships that support a loving and supportive home life. Whatever the source of the issues in your relationships, everyone involved deserves to be treated with the respect and dignity that a Thriveworks counselor will provide. They also have the skills to help you and your family develop new, healthy ways to deal with problems and learn healthy communication.
Thriveworks does not have a waitlist and appointments are within 24 hours. So, call today at 617-360-7210. Thriveworks marriage counselors can help you and your partner create the healthy, loving, and respectful relationship that you both desire.
