Family Counseling Services
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Conflict within a family is not unusual; it’s often a part of living in a community with people who each have their own individual personalities, goals, and needs. However, if the conflicts have become too big to resolve and are starting to manifest as family dysfunction, your family may benefit from some outside help from family counseling services to support everyone’s mental health. Below is a discussion of some common types of conflicts families may face, as well as some information about how to resolve family conflict along with family counseling options, including family therapy services, which may be accessed at a center dedicated to family well-being.
Common sources of family conflicts
Each family may have its own unique set of concerns, such as anxiety, depression, marriage, anger management, or parenting issues, that could end up affecting the well-being of everyone in the unit. There is a wide array of reasons why families may seek professional counseling services to help resolve conflicts. Clinicians like social workers and counselors, often based at a family counseling center, provide these family therapy services, assisting families to achieve their mission of harmony and resolution. Below are some of the most common reasons to seek family counseling services.
Mental or physical health challenges
Blended families
Blended families consist of children from different relationships—such as half-siblings or step-siblings—now living as one, new unit. Putting young or even adult children from previously separate units into the same dynamic or even the same household can be a big change for everyone involved. A family counseling session, incorporating family therapy services, may be able to give all parties a safe space to discuss their emotions related to the transition and to find compromises between each original unit’s preferred way of doing things, often facilitated at a counseling center.
- Family counseling services can help the family heal so they can move forward in a healthy way.
- A counselor may be able to help everyone unpack the original issues through family counseling services and resolve them so they can move on.
Types of family therapy
The purpose of family counseling services is to help a family learn to relate to each other in a healthy way. The family counselor may do this by opening up productive lines of communication, assisting in conflict resolution, and initiating the healing process if necessary, utilizing therapy services to support these efforts. The type of counseling interventions used will largely depend on the issues faced by the family seeking counseling services. Below is a discussion of some of the common types of family counseling services in use today, many of which are offered at a counseling center.
Family systems therapy
Structural family therapy
A primary tool involved in structural family therapy is the family map. This form of organization tool is used as a springboard for understanding and discussing different family dynamics, allowing the counselor to utilize therapy services to help the family learn healthier ways of interacting with one another. These types of family counseling services look at the family holistically, examining how the entire unit is affected by certain patterns and interactions.
Family financial therapy
What to keep in mind when pursuing family therapy
Finding the right therapist for your mental health
Takeaway
Most families experience conflict from time to time. When it goes unresolved, it creates dysfunction and may contribute to mental health issues; however, the guidance of a family counseling service may be beneficial. There are many different types and formats of family therapy available, including phone sessions, so that you can seek the best one for you and yours. Don't hesitate to reach out and talk to a professional about your concerns and explore the options they offer.
Much of what happens during family counseling sessions will depend on your counselor’s approach and the specific needs of your family. For many family counselors, the first step of the counseling process may involve talking to each of the family members to get multiple perspectives on the family dynamic. The counselor may work with the family to develop a treatment plan, which could include a family mission statement. Subsequent family counseling sessions may serve to teach individual family members communication strategies and conflict management techniques to improve family relationships. In cases of domestic violence, more intensive or specialized counseling may be needed, and the priority will be on the safety of the person being abused.
What are the most common types of family counseling services?
Some of the common types of family counseling services include:
- Structural family therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Strategic family therapy
- Systemic family therapy
- Narrative therapy
The goals of family therapy or counseling may differ from one family to the next. Even so, common goals for family counseling include improved communication, healthy boundary setting, better conflict resolution, and problem solving.
Why are family counseling services important in family planning?
Family planning involves important decisions about the future, and emotions can run high when discussing topics related to children and reproductive health. Thus, a family counseling service can be helpful in ensuring that couples make informed decisions and resolve any conflicts that arise.
What is the difference between family therapy and counseling in mental health?
When it comes to family therapy and family counseling, these labels are sometimes used interchangeably. Still, the primary difference may be that family therapy addresses more specific issues in the family while family counseling and family counseling services may be broader in scope.
What is the difference between a family therapist and a family counselor?
There’s significant overlap between the terms “family therapist” and “family counselor,” but there are several distinctions. Here’s an overview of both:
- Family therapist: The most common type of therapist who works with families are licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs). These professionals may use different approaches, such as strategic family therapy, narrative therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and emotionally focused therapy. Typically, family therapists address complex concerns, mental illnesses, and challenges that may take consistent therapy sessions to address.
- Family counselor: Types of licensed counselors include licensed professional counselors (LPCs), licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs), and licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs). They typically provide family members with my short-term, specific challenges.
What are the disadvantages of family counseling?
Some disadvantages of family therapy include:
- Everyone must be willing and ready to participate
- Emotional vulnerability
- Scheduling challenges
- The risk that one family member feels blamed or ostracized by the rest
- The risk of relying on the therapist to resolve issues
What is the most common type of family therapy?
According to some studies, structural family therapy (SFT) is one of the most common types of family therapy. Structural family therapists assess elements of the family structure, such as boundaries and hierarchies. They use this information to understand and help clients reframe dysfunctional patterns and behaviors. This may involve psychoeducation, helping people establish and enforce boundaries, and practicing healthy communication.
Other common types of therapy include functional family therapy, multisystemic therapy, cognitive behavioral family therapy, family systems therapy, and attachment-based family therapy.
What kind of therapy is best for family issues?
Some types of therapy that can be effective for families include:
- Structural-strategic family therapy
- Functional family therapy for youth behavioral problems, when the treatment model is closely followed
- Cognitive-behavioral family therapy
- Attachment-based family therapy
The best type of therapy for a family will depend on many things, including the challenges they’re looking to address, timeframe, location, the age of any children, and individual factors. Many therapists practice integrative therapy, allowing them to use a customized approach to best meet the needs of families.
How do I know if my family needs therapy?
Some signs that a family might benefit from therapy include:
- Behavioral issues in children
- Traumatic events, such as financial strain, surviving a natural disaster, a major accident, or abuse
- Major life changes, such as a diagnosis with a chronic illness, moving to a new city, grief, or divorce
- Trust issues
- Lack of open communication
- Recurring conflict or concerns
- Emotional detachment
Even if these issues are not present in families, it can be beneficial to work with a family to proactively identify challenges, communicate in a mediated, non-judgmental space, and help families adapt as children grow up.
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