What is family therapy?
Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.
How does family therapy work?
Thriveworks family therapists in Palo Alto, CA usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.
What is the most effective family therapy?
The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.
How do I know if my family needs therapy?
This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.
What is included in family therapy?
In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.
What is the success rate of family therapy?
Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.
Is family therapy conducted in person or online?
Thriveworks therapists in Palo Alto, CA offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
How long does family therapy last?
Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.
Need more help deciding?
If your family is having trouble navigating a problematic situation or transition or just can’t seem to stop fighting, family therapy or counseling at Thriveworks Counseling can help. Our team of mental health professionals in Palo Alto, CA can show your family how to reconnect with one another and work together to overcome the challenges you’re facing.
Schedule your first therapy session by calling our office at (650) 885-9469.
When To Consider Family Therapy
Family therapy or counseling can help strengthen and maintain healthy family relationships, but people often seek professional support to resolve conflict, repair strained relationships, or address stressful situations. Some common reasons families decide to pursue counseling include the following:
- Breakdowns in communication
- Major life changes or transitions
- Grief or loss of a loved one
- Sibling rivalry
- Childbirth or adoption
- Remarriage and blending families
- Behavioral problems in children or adults
- Substance abuse or addiction
- Change in family dynamic, roles, or responsibilities
- Financial changes
- Divorce or separation
- Mental health issues
- Stress caused by chronic illness
- Differing religious or political views
How Family Therapy Can Help
Family therapy is a highly personalized experience and your treatment plan may vary depending on your problems or situation. Your family’s treatment plan may include one or multiple forms of therapy, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), systemic family therapy, or structural family therapy. Other forms of therapy may be recommended for individual family members to address issues that affect your family system, such as depression therapy or addiction counseling.
When you begin family therapy or counseling, you’ll learn the skills you need to take on the world as a team. Family therapy or counseling can help you and your family members learn how to understand and appreciate your differences, communicate more effectively, and solve problems together. These skills can help you resolve conflict quickly and maintain harmonious, respectful family relationships long-term.
Schedule Family Therapy at Thriveworks Counseling in Palo Alto, CA
At Thriveworks, we make it simple to connect your entire family with an experienced therapist or counselor and provide you with the tools you need to keep growing and strengthening your relationships in between sessions. Call Thriveworks Counseling in Palo Alto, CA today at (650) 885-9469 or use our convenient online scheduling system to get started.
