The psychotherapist Virginia Satir described the family as a “microcosm of the world. “To understand the world,” she stated, “we can study the family.” What did she mean by that? Within family bonds, people can become familiar with all the elements that shape how we engage in the world for our entire lives. Within our personal family dynamics we can learn about hierarchies, roles in relationships, independence, interdependence, communication, support, and much more. Those formative relationships are incredibly powerful. Satir went on to say, “To change the world is to change the family.”
The licensed family therapists at Thriveworks in Norman, OK have the skills, compassion, and psychological insights to help families navigate issues both major and minor. Behavioral problems, mental health conditions, addiction, and external realities like finances can all have an outsized impact on people who are so emotionally interconnected. Sometimes it takes a mental health professional to facilitate communication and help find solutions to complex family issues. And that’s the purpose of family therapy at Thriveworks.
How Does Family Therapy Work?
Every family arrives for therapy sessions at Thriveworks in Norman, OK for different reasons, ranging from the seemingly trivial (i.e., “My son won’t take out the trash”) to the acute (i.e., “My son won’t talk to me”). But guess what? It’s usually all connected. Small things can sometimes indicate bigger problems, and sometimes bigger problems can have small solutions. But it can take an expert to identify these dynamics.
When you and your family members arrive for family therapy, your counselor will probably ask each of you individually what your goals are for the sessions. Family members often state that they’re looking for variations of the following:
- To reduce tension
- To increase trust
- To forgive someone or ask someone for forgiveness
- To reinforce their family’s strengths
- To improve communication
- To reduce misunderstandings
- To be heard
- To be appreciated
- To make healthy boundaries
- To identify emotional triggers
- To heal estrangements
- To undo grudges
A family therapist’s goal isn’t to assign blame or take sides. They’re skilled at gaining insights into an issue from each person’s perspective, and seeking solutions that everyone can agree on. And because family therapy is usually so solution-focused, issues typically get resolved in fewer than 12 sessions.
Family Therapy Techniques and Approaches
Depending on your therapist’s psychotherapy approach, they may use a wide variety of techniques to uncover truths in the family and get everyone to open up emotionally. Thriveworks family therapists in Norman, OK may use enlightening icebreaker questions and exercises to get to know everyone and find out their point of view. A therapist’s approach may be informed by the following modalities:
- Bowenian family therapy is built on triangulation and differentiation.
- Structural family therapy focuses on tweaking the family system so a proper parent/child structure is in place and everyone has appropriate boundaries.
- Systemic family therapy explores unconscious communication and typically requires a therapist to be more distant.
- Strategic family therapy has a more involved, powerful therapist who may assign tasks like homework.
How to Decide If Family Therapy Is Right for You
If the harmony in your family feels disturbed in a way you can’t seem to control, or perhaps you never had harmony to begin with, then family therapy at Thriveworks in Norman, OK may prove hugely beneficial to you and your loved ones. Family therapy can also give parents and children the psychological resources they need to strengthen family relationships in the long-term and build more resiliency for any future setbacks.
Family therapy can teach coping strategies and help children attain a sense of healthy independence without sacrificing family bonds and structure. Anyone can benefit from family therapy, whether you’re a traditional nuclear family, a multigenerational family, an LGBTQ family, or anything else. The family therapists at Thriveworks in Norman, OK are here to help you flourish.
Work with an Exceptional Family Therapist at Thriveworks in Norman, OK
The exceptional family therapists at Thriveworks in Norman, OK can meet with clients online or in-person, depending on their comfort levels and what’s convenient. Busy family members may find that virtual therapy sessions work best, so everyone doesn’t have to be in the same place at the same time. Everyone just needs a good internet connection to enable Thriveworks’ secure telehealth software. Many families also worry about whether therapy is affordable, or whether another financial burden will just add to a family’s stress levels. Because all the mental health providers at Thriveworks in Norman, OK (and nationwide) are fully licensed, they accept most health insurance plans. This can greatly reduce or eliminate out-of-pocket expenses.
Finally, our family therapists pride themselves on quick appointment scheduling, and our office staff can usually fit you into a therapist’s calendar within 24-48 hours of your initial call.
Call today to schedule your first family therapy appointment and find out what makes Thriveworks counselors so exceptional. We look forward to hearing from you
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