Family means many things. It can refer to your biological relatives, a tight-knit group of friends found at university, your adopted children, a community grown from a shared passion, and much more.
People tend to lean on family during difficult times in life, such as losing a pet, struggling at school, or needing help to cope with an addiction. Good family members are there to celebrate your victories, take care of you while you’re sick, and push you to go on new adventures.
But sometimes, family is a source of stress and pain rather than a source of comfort. Living with other people can lead to arguments about household chores, parenting responsibilities, and personal space. Disagreements with parents, partners, siblings, and others can negatively affect your mental health. Ongoing conflict and behavioral problems may even lead to estranged relationships.
Handling these issues is hard work. That’s where family therapy and counseling can help. Speaking with a licensed therapist or counselor familiar with family systems and techniques for resolving conflict may benefit your family. In addition, a therapist or counselor can serve as an objective third party who helps you see new solutions to your concerns.
Do you think therapy or counseling could be right for your family? Consider reaching out to a provider from Thriveworks Counseling in Hattiesburg, MS. One of our team members can help you set up your first session.
Why Do Families Seek Counseling?
Family therapy is a form of treatment that helps families deal with their issues and create healthier relationships. During therapy, your provider will explore your family’s roles, rules, and patterns of behavior to help you find healthier and more effective ways of interacting with each other.
People reach out for family therapy sessions for many reasons, such as:
- Major life transitions
- Coping with shared grief
- Failure to compromise
- Divisions of household labor
- Differing parenting styles
- Behavioral concerns in children
- Communication and trust issues
- Adjusting to new family members (like step-parents or younger siblings)
- Divorce or separation
- Privacy and personal boundary disputes
Your situation might not be listed above — and that’s ok. Maybe you’re dealing with a sudden tragedy, a major shift in your family’s daily routine, or worries about your child’s academic performance. A skilled family counselor or therapist can help you navigate these complicated family dynamics.
Family Therapy: The Benefits and How It Works
All families experience roadblocks to their shared happiness from time to time. However, many who attend regular counseling or therapy sessions for specific issues find that working with a therapist makes it easier to handle conflict and other concerns as a team.
Family therapists are trained mental health professionals equipped to identify and reduce short-term and long-term issues seen in their clients. Our providers in Hattiesburg, MS, will get to know your family in order to provide feedback and actionable takeaways.
Some of the most common treatment methodologies used in family therapy and counseling include:
- Bowenian therapy: This method states that families thrive when they maintain a balance of togetherness and individuality. Bowenian therapy aims to develop a sense of self for each member and make space for individual needs during shared family time.
- Strategic therapy: Generally brief and action-oriented, strategic therapy seeks to alter communication habits that result in anger and frustration. It may involve “homework,” such as reflecting on your actions and using specific techniques to prevent conflict.
- Structural therapy: This practice focuses on reasserting or modifying familial roles. It aims to place the majority of authority with parents or guardians and help children set healthy boundaries.
A good therapist or counselor will use techniques to reduce a family’s worries, provide for their needs, and create actionable goals. Whether you’ve worked with a mental health professional in the past or this is your first experience, therapy or counseling can help your family thrive.
Therapy and Counseling Appointments for Families in Hattiesburg, MS
At Thriveworks Counseling in Hattiesburg, MS, our mental health professionals recognize that every family deserves support, and they are ready to get to know you. We offer evening, weekend, and weekday sessions to help you find time for mental health services. We also accept many different forms of health insurance and provide text-message assistance for booking and billing. This flexibility and convenience mean that most new clients can meet with a provider within 24 to 48 hours after reaching out to us.
Beyond time spent with mental health professionals, our clients have access to:
- 24-hour mental health Q+A service with a life coach
- Counselor-moderated discussion boards
- Exclusive video content
- Contact with providers between sessions
- Teletherapy using phone calls or video chat
Contact our office today if you’d like to set up an appointment with a family therapist or counselor at Thriveworks in Hattiesburg, MS. Our scheduling team is ready to provide you with excellent customer service and answer any questions you might have.
