Family systems are built on foundations of love and trust. But all foundations need strengthening and repairing from time to time. Consider the following scenario:
Claire is a graphic designer who adores traveling the world. She loves collecting souvenirs, visiting museums, and exploring local towns. But Claire’s mother, Linda, is not a fan of her daughter’s wandering lifestyle.
Linda has spent her entire life close to home. She believes that traveling to far-flung places is inherently dangerous and cannot imagine why her daughter would choose to do so. Every time Claire travels, Linda grows sick to her stomach. She can’t sleep. She barely eats. She calls Claire three times a day and anxiously awaits until Claire is safely back at home.
Her mother’s constant worrying upsets Claire. She always enjoys her vacations when she’s gone, but she feels guilty the moment she returns home. While she was out having fun, her mother was at home worrying about her, and the realization always makes Claire so angry that she keeps phone conversations with her mother short after each trip. She feels resentful that her mother checks in on her so often even though she’s always been a responsible daughter.
After years of living this way, Claire decides to sit down with her mother and address her concerns. She carefully suggests that the two of them seek counseling together to resolve their issues. Linda agrees.
It’s never too late to solve unresolved issues and strengthen your relationship with your family. Whether you’re a teenager struggling to get your parents to understand your way of thinking or a parent trying to create stronger connections with your adult children, your relationship deserves time and attention.
Therapy is designed to bring communication and civility to the challenges that arise in family relationships. At Thriveworks, we believe in long-term strategies that you can return to again and again as new challenges and situations present themselves.
If you’d like to add conversational tools to your toolbox and help your family get back on track, please consider reaching out to us at our office at Thriveworks in Salem, OR.
When Is It Time To Consider Family Therapy?
No two families are alike and families consider contact a counselor or therapist for different reasons. However, some common reasons families attend therapy include:
- Behavioral problems
- Separation anxiety for adults and children
- Substance abuse
- Financial problems
- Major life transitions
- Separation and divorce
- Mental illnesses and disorders
- Conflict resolution issues
- Personality challenges
- Differences in parenting styles
These are far from the only issues counseling can address. Whether you and your loved ones have experienced any of the above challenges or entirely different ones, please reach out to the mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Salem, OR. Together, we can tackle your specific issues and work toward a solution.
What Are the Benefits of Family Counseling?
Every family has its ups and downs. But those problems do not have to define you and your family members. Just as it’s important to work on individual wellness, it’s also important to work on your family’s growth and well-being.
Therapy lets you sit down with a trained mental health professional who can work with you and your loved ones to address your specific issues. Teaming up with a counselor can include benefits such as:
- Resolving specific issues with a new perspective
- Improving your communication and listening skills
- Developing wellness techniques such as meditation and mindfulness
- Managing anger and stress more effectively
- Building trust and appreciation among family members
A counselor can serve as a mediator who ensures that each family member gets a chance to speak and address their concerns. You can learn how to better handle conflicts in a way that’s productive and thoughtful.
Family counseling encourages you to ask questions and to get familiar with your counselor and each other. If you’d like to learn more about how counseling can help you and your family, please call us at Thriveworks in Salem, OR.
Booking a Family Counseling Appointment at Thriveworks in Salem, OR
Therapy sessions can provide a structured support system to you and your family. At Thriveworks, we believe that a family’s success begins by addressing issues and problems head-on.
We know that your family has a busy schedule. That’s why we offer weekend and evening sessions as well as online counseling appointments via video and phone.
Additionally, we accept a number of different insurance providers and have offices that open early and close late. Our new clients are often able to schedule same- or next-day appointments.
Your family’s mental and emotional health deserves time and attention. If your family is ready to work through its challenges, we would love to help. Contact us today at Thriveworks in Salem, OR to get started.
