As its name suggests, family counseling is a type of therapy that is used to resolve issues that are affecting members of the same family. These don’t necessarily have to be people all living under the same roof – wider family relationships can also benefit from this effective counseling technique. In family counseling, the entire family is the client and generally, those affected by the issues will all be present at each therapy session.

There is a wide range of different issues that can affect family units. These are some of the most common challenges that families face:

• Separation/divorce

• Infidelity and its impact on the wider family

• Parenting issues (whether cohabiting or separated)

• Work pressures

• School pressures

• Drug or alcohol dependency of a family member

• Gambling addiction

• Illness or disability of a family member

• Death of a family member

• Unemployment

• Financial problems

However, there really is no limit as to the types of issues that family counseling can help resolve. Your counselor will be happy to discuss your case with you to advise whether family counseling would be the most appropriate course of action, or whether an alternative mode of therapy would be more effective.

Here are some of the key goals of family counseling and the benefits that you can expect.
 

Identify how specific behaviors affect others within the family

One of the biggest challenges that many people have to overcome is recognizing the impact that their specific behaviors have on others within the family unit. They may genuinely not realize the effect that their behavior is having – perhaps because others are too anxious or worried to speak out. Alternatively, they may have been told of the effect that their behavior is having but are unwilling to see things from the perspective of others within the unit. One of the primary goals of family therapy is to enable each person to see things from the opposite perspective so that they can appreciate the impact that they are having on the family dynamic. It is often easier for individuals to accept and change their behavior if they are able to appreciate the effect that is causing.
 

Learn new and improved ways of relating to one another

Communication is an essential element in any relationship, but particularly amongst family members where it is likely that you may live, work, or otherwise spend time with one another. Poor communication can result in misunderstandings, especially in larger groups where information may be passed between individuals rather than being heard directly from the source. In addition, some people may want or feel able to share their feelings openly or be influenced by others within the group. Family therapy helps the group to develop new and improved ways of speaking to one another and be understood, whilst also teaching people how to listen more effectively.

Build stronger bonds

Having a strong, supportive family helps anyone to feel more confident when life throws them a curveball. For some families, creating and maintaining strong bonds seems effortless, but for others, developing or keeping such durable relationships can seem impossible. Fortunately, family counseling can help. Helping the family to talk, listen, and understand one another more effectively builds respect – a cornerstone to any strong relationship. Your therapist will also work with you to develop strategies that help family members to reconnect – such as spending more time with one another doing tasks like cooking, reading and playing games, or helping you to schedule virtual family events such as online quizzes, video chats and more. Spending time together helps families to rediscover the things that they have in common, which in turn builds stronger bonds.

Conflict resolution

Conflicts between family members can arise for a multitude of different reasons, and in some cases, can last for years. Your counselor can help family members to understand the underlying causes of the conflict - which in some cases have been going on so long that the real reason for the friction has been long forgotten. Once the source of these issues becomes clear, family counseling techniques can be used to address the issues in order to reach a resolution.

For more information about the benefits of family counseling, or to speak to us about scheduling a session, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.