WHAT IS FAMILY & COUPLES THERAPY?
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce distress and conflict by improving the systems of interactions between family members. While family therapists often seek to have all family members (affected by the problem) in the room, that is not always possible or necessary.
Couples therapy is a process that helps couples establish open communication and collectively find solutions to the challenges they face. We help empower couples to change in healthy ways by emphasizing their strengths, wisdom and other supports.
What distinguishes family and couples therapy from individual counseling is its perspective or framework, not how many people are present at the therapy session.
Family and couples therapy approaches problems as patterns or systems that need adjusting, as opposed to viewing problems as residing in the person, which is why family therapy is often referred to as a “strengths based treatment.”
COMMON REASONS FOR SEEKING FAMILY THERAPY
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When a child is having a problem such as with school, substance abuse, or disordered eating
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A major trauma or change that impacts the entire family (i.e. relocation to a new house, natural disaster, incarceration of a family member)
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Unexpected or traumatic loss of a family member
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Adjustment to a new family member in the home (i.e. birth of a sibling, adoption, foster children, a grandparent entering the home)
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Domestic violence
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Divorce
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Parent Conflict
DEFINING “FAMILY” IN THE 21 CENTURY
Wait, what exactly does “family” mean?
“Family” is defined by the modern family therapist as anyone who plays a long-term supportive role in one’s life, which may not mean blood relations or family members in the same household. Family relationships are viewed as important for good mental health, regardless of whether all family members are participating in the therapy. It is an ideal counseling method for helping family members adjust to an immediate family member struggling with an addiction, medical issue or mental health diagnosis. It is also recommended for improving communication.
INTRODUCING OUR BRAND NEW MENTAL HEALTH APP
