The Grotten family had to move suddenly when their mom got a promotion at work. Vanya, a bright teenager with a love for history and literature, refuses to submit any work to her new teachers. Sam, her little brother, started staying out past his curfew and won’t unpack his stuff. Ellie, the youngest Grotten, gets emotional and cries when her dad drops her off at elementary school. Their parents tried to explain the benefits of the move over dinner, but it ended with everyone storming away from the table.
Raising a family can be difficult. It typically involves trial and error infused with a lot of love. Major life transitions, like the Grotten’s move, can throw your family off balance. As can prolonged conflict, differing outlooks on parenting, sudden loss, and other difficult circumstances. Even the happiest households encounter painful moments.
The encouraging truth is that working with a family therapist or counselor can help families work through their issues as a unit. Mental health professionals specializing in family therapy and counseling help people repair relationships, learn how to communicate constructively, and find new perspectives on old issues every day.
If something is weighing on your family, consider reaching out to a mental health professional from Thriveworks Counseling in Rapid City, SD. Call us today or contact us online to get started.
Should We Attend Family Therapy Sessions?
Families can consist of the people you feel tied to through shared lineage, passions, and experiences. Families can all look different, like two parents and five children, three roommates co-parenting a rambunctious labrador, a group of kayaking enthusiasts, an adoptive mother with twin toddlers, and so much more.
There are many reasons why someone would decide to seek out family therapy or counseling. Some of the most frequent include:
- Behavioral problems
- Opposing parenting styles
- Estrangement
- Lack of healthy communication
- Long term disagreements
- Addiction or substance abuse
- Coping with shared grief or loss
- Division of household labor
- Mental health concerns
- Divorce or separation
- Major lifestyle changes
If your family is dealing with one or several of these issues, it could be time to reach out to a skilled counselor or therapist. Remember, sessions are not only for extreme cases. Family therapy or counseling can be useful for less intense needs, like moving on from a temporary stumbling block or reevaluating an established boundary.
The Key Benefits of Family Counseling
Family therapists and counselors have plenty of experience navigating complex family systems. When you choose to meet with a professional, you’ll probably come across a number of evidence-based therapeutic techniques, including Bowenian, structural, strategic, and narrative therapy. Each of these focuses on a different aspect of family life, like how your actions and beliefs influence one another.
The heart of family counseling is often group sessions. However, a provider may want to speak with you and your family in individual sessions to better understand your unique dynamics. And if a mental health condition or addiction is affecting one of your family members, a board-certified psychiatrist might suggest cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for that person — addressing unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior.
Whatever course your sessions take, there are some recurring benefits to seeking help. Here are some common takeaways:
- New perspectives: Your family might have specific issues that have lasted for months and feel impossible to resolve. A therapist or counselor can serve as a fresh set of eyes, offering new insights to personal or uncomfortable subjects.
- Safe, judgement-free conversations: Children might find speaking honestly to their parents intimidating or draining when focused on school, sports, and growing up. A licensed mental health professional can create a reassuring space where kids can express their opinions and ask questions at their own pace.
- Useful strategies: People who attend family therapy or counseling often discover techniques that work long after the end of their sessions. These include using “I statements” when addressing a concern, worksheets that encourage collaborative problem-solving, and tips for helping young children understand challenging topics.
Schedule Family Sessions at Thriveworks in Rapid City, SD
If you want to improve communication, mend family relationships, and strengthen your emotional bonds, family therapy or counseling might be the solution you’ve been seeking. Providers from Thriveworks Counseling in Rapid City, SD, are here to support you through your issues.
We offer sessions throughout the week, including on the weekend and evening appointments. New clients often get their first appointment within 24-48 hours of reaching out. Providers are also available between sessions using text or email. Thriveworks is proud to accept many different insurance plans, and we also offer a flexible rescheduling policy for times when something comes up.
Additionally, Thriveworks provides:
- Online therapy options through phone or video chat
- Our Ask-a-Coach 24-hour Q+A service
- Text-message assistance for booking and billing
Call or office or use our online booking tool to explore options for your family at Thriveworks Counseling in Rapid City, SD. We can’t wait to hear from you soon.
