Let’s Support All of Your Family
Family Therapy is good for families of all kinds. You might be wondering if it’s right in your situation. It is often more effective than ignoring problems or hoping they will “just go away” on their own.
Does your family deal with any of these situations?
If your answer to any of them is yes, let’s explore how family therapy can be there for you.
Benefits of Family Therapy
As members of the family, you all might be too close to the situation. We use our best intentions of “solve” or change the dynamics of the family and it doesn’t always work. By bringing in a trained family counselor, you are setting up a team, dedicated to the mental health and growth of all members. It is a holistic approach that doesn’t just address the issues of one member. It considers and improves the overall functioning and well-being of the entire family.
Let’s look at the benefits to your family:
- Improves Communication
- Resolves Conflicts
- Strengthens Bonds
- Enhances Understanding
- Teaches Coping Skills
- Addresses individual Issues
- Promotes Growth and Change
- Prevents Future Issues
- Supports Mental Health
- Adapts to Change
Young Children Behavior and Family Therapy
Family therapy for young children with behavioral issues involves several key approaches, each tailored to help the family unit as a whole, while addressing the specific needs of the child.
- Understanding Behavior – therapy can help in understanding the root causes of the child’s behavior. This includes exploring family dynamics, stressors, and the child’s experiences.
- Building Communication – your therapist teaches parents and siblings how to listen and respond effectively to the child’s needs.
- Setting Boundaries – parents learn consistent and appropriate boundaries. This provides structure and helps the child understand expectations.
- Positive Reinforcement – focus on encouraging positive behavior through praise and rewards, rather than just punishing negative behavior.
- Skill Development – parents and children both learn new skills. This includes emotion regulation, problem- solving and coping strategies.
- Enhancing Family Relationships – therapy works to strengthen the bond between family members. This creates a supportive environment for the child.
- Collaborative Approach – family therapy is a team effort. Everyone’s input is valued and solutions are developed together.
- Consistency & Patience – your therapist will emphasize the need for consistent approaches and patience. Behavioral changes take time.
- Education & Support – parents receive education about child development and behavioral issues.
- Adapting Strategies – the strategies are tailored to your child’s age, development stage and specific needs. Flexibility is key as the child grows and changes.
Working together, as a family, can benefit all members of the family. Everyone in the family will have a voice and be heard. This holistic approach recognizes the family dynamics and how they contribute to the behavior of every member of the family.
Sharing the child’s experiences and struggles, in a non-judgmental setting, can clear up misunderstandings and conflicts and can reduce conflicts. Patterns in family behaviors can be identified and addressed with all members of the family.
Family therapy not only supports the child, it also enhances the overall functioning and well-being of the entire family.
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Is Your Teen Isolating
What do you do your teen won’t interact with family, friends or classmates? You’ve tried to talking with him/her and all it does is lead to arguments or sullen silence. Then there is the “shut down” of all communication. You realize it’s impacting the whole family.
A counselor can bring in an unbiased point of view and can offer some key steps.
- Build Trust – this is someone who has no past history and can listen objectively.
- Explore Feelings – your teen is encouraged to express feelings, and tell the counselor what is causing the reactions.
- Identify Triggers – your teen and the counselor will work to figure out what triggers the reactions.
- Develop Coping Skills – teens can learn coping mechanisms. These could include stress management, emotional regulation or communication skills.
- Family Involvement – the counselor will work with the family to educate everyone on the best ways to support without pushing too hard.
- Empower Your Teen – your teen will learn which strengths and accomplishments to focus on for positive change.
- Address School Issues – many times a counselor is able to identify what are the stressors and how to explore options for making adjustments.
- Safety Planning – if necessary, create a safety plan and share it in the most appropriate manner with family members.
- Provide Resources – a counselor will offer other resources, such as groups, or reading materials for both the teen and the family
For parents, it’s important to be part of your teen’s counseling journey. Not only will your teen learn better, healthier ways to deal with the changes in their lives, all members of the family will benefit in a happier, calmer and more stable environment.
Blended Families Benefit from Family Therapy
Blending two families can bring both the highest of joys and the lowest of frustration. There are so many changes to deal with, and they can be overwhelming at times.
Some of the key points counseling can assist with are:
- Adjustment Difficulties – how to deal with new living arrangements, family dynamic changes. Use counseling as a space to navigate them.
- Role Confusion – children and parents may be unsure of their roles in the new family structure.
- Sibling Rivalry – counseling can help avert some of the conflicts and promote bonding.
- Parenting Disagreements – there may be different parenting styles, requiring finding some common ground and consistent approaches.
- Feeling of loss – members of the blended family might feel a loss and glamorize the old family unit. Counseling helps in processing the changes.
- Loyalty Conflicts – children may be part of two blended families and loyalty to the biological parent can make them feel conflicted. Counseling can help support these very complex feelings.
- Building Trust – trust takes time to build. Counseling can foster trust-building activities and open communication.
- Acceptance and Joint Family Decisions – accepting the blended family and learning how to make family decisions can benefit from a neutral professional to offer guidance.
Counseling can help blended families navigate the complexities of their new dynamics. Communication can be improved, roles and boundaries are established. The end result is a strong, cohesive family unit.
Dealing With the Loss of a Family Member
Losing a loved one can be hard to process alone. When it is a family member someone important to the family, it can be hard to reconcile. Counseling for the family can provide a supportive space to process the emotions and communicate effectively. We all grieve differently and there can be the need to work through the process in different ways for each member of the family.
There may be a medical diagnosis for a family member that can impact the family as this progresses.
Counseling will help strengthen the family bonds learn coping skills and navigate the changes that impact the whole family.
Families are not always ready to face both an unexpected loss. Grief can be shown in different ways for different people. Some may show extreme sadness, others may be angry, bitter or feel guilt as part of the process. Some of the responses a counselor can support are:
- Helps Process Emotions
- Facilitate Communication
- Address Individual Grief for family members
- Teach Coping Skills
- Normalize the Grief process
- Support Children
- Manage Conflict
- Prevent Complicated Grief
- Provide Education on the grieving process
- Offer Ongoing Support
Parenting Through Divorce – Family Therapy can Help
Divorce is hard for everyone involved. Not only are the adults dealing with massive life changes, the children of divorce also feel the impact. Parents should look at family therapy process as a way to better handle some of these points:
- Facilitates Communication – this is a place for open, honest communication between parents and children about divorce.
- Addresses Children’s Feelings – children have a place to express and process feelings about the divorce process.
- Provides Coping Strategies – therapists can offer strategies to handle the emotional stress for everyone involved.
- Creates Stability – the routine of the family therapy and having a place to be heard can offer a sense of stability to the children.
- Manage Conflict – parents can learn how to manage and resolve conflict while minimizing the impact on the children.
- Supports Co-Parenting – helps parents develop and maintain a cooperative co-parenting relationship that prioritizes the children’s well-being.
- Addresses Behavior Issues – therapy can identity and address behavioral changes in children, often a reaction to the stress of divorce.
- Sets Boundaries – assists in establishing healthy boundaries between former spouse, which is vital for effective co-parenting.
Family therapy offers those involved in the divorce with a way of moving forward, with the tools and skills to make this a less stressful part of the process. Proactive counseling can prevent potential future emotional or behavioral issues in the children.
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Supporting Aging Parents with Family Therapy
The impact of aging parents on a family encompasses many different issues. They can be emotional, physical, financial and social. There can be complex role changes, increase in responsibilities, and these can lead to stress and conflict. Counseling and external support systems help navigate through this such as:
- Family Dynamics Change – suddenly you are taking care of the person(s) who raised you.
- Emotional Toll – watching your parents age and decline can be emotionally draining for family members.
- Sibling Conflicts – you might feel like it is all falling on your shoulders rather than being shared.
- Guilt & Regret – you might feel you are not doing enough or you feel guilty for wanting to have more help.
- Time Management – trying to balance caregiving with day to day responsibilities can strain personal and professional lives.
- Impact on children – your whole family can be affected by the changes in their grandparents as they get older. They may need more and more support or need to move into a home and disrupt the family roles.
- Chronic Illness – managing your parent’s illness can be a long-term challenge.
- Decision-Making Stress – you aren’t sure the choices for medical care, living arrangement, and end-of-life care are the right ones.
- Legal & Ethical Issues – families can face legal decisions about guardianship, wills or healthcare directives.
Family Therapy is there for you to find the support you need as your parents age. If you are not taking care of yourself, how can you care for your parents? Your mental health and well-being is important to maintain. It can also bring families close and prompt personal growth for you and family members. You may learn some wonderful things about your parents you never knew before as you spend the time together.
Better Communication Between Parents and Adult Children
As we get older, sometimes the relationship with our parents feels like it hasn’t changed since you were a teenager, living at their home. The relationship is multifaceted. In order to maintain a healthy and supportive relationship, it takes a proactive and empathetic approach. Some situations to address are:
- Empty Nest Syndrome – are parents trying to hold onto some of the “old lifestyle” by demanding more time?
- Worry & Anxiety – parents worry about adult children’s well-being, career choices/paths or personal life choices.
- Adjusting to Role Changes – there is a shift from treating children as being dependent to being independent. Are there boundaries to establish and agree to?
- Finding the Balance – how much time and involvement should there be once children become adults?
- Asking for Help Without Giving Up Control – requesting support or help without having life examined under a microscope
By setting up open communication, setting boundaries and seeking out professional help, you can make the adult child and parent relationship even more fulfilling and healthier. With the help of your family counselor, you can establish and maintain the kind of relationship you both want.
Family Therapy Can be the Healthiest Choice
Being in a family can have it’s challenges, so let’s make it as easy as possible. For family dynamics to stay positive and health, it may take the trained support from a family therapist.
Remember, it’s perfectly fine to collaborate with a family therapist for learning new emotional tools and better communication.
To be as accommodating as possible for those seeking family therapy, Pathways Counseling Services provides:
- Evening and weekend appointment availability
- Confidential, safe and judgement-free counseling spaces
- Free 15-minute phone consultation
Our Family Therapy Counselors
Frequently Asked Questions:
You may do this in three ways.
You can book online anytime
Call us at 480-613-8530
Complete this contact form.
Yes, we offer a free 15-minute telephone consultation. Please call us at 480-613-8530 to schedule a consultation or complete this contact form.
Our practice is a “Fee-For-Service” practice which means we DO NOT accept insurance. If you have an insurance provider with behavioral health coverage, they may offer “out-of-network” coverage. If you would like to use your “out-of-network” benefits, we will provide you with a superbill (receipt) monthly that you can submit to your insurance company for “out-of-network” reimbursement.
Prior to your first session, you will fill out some general information. We will you a link to complete the form(s) prior to your first session.
During the initial appointment, we will review some of your histories and we will have an opportunity to discuss the reasons you are interested in counseling and the goals you are looking to achieve from counseling.
Together during the first few sessions we will put together a treatment plan with you.
Most patients come in for weekly appointments. As you are feeling better, you can cut back on the frequency of the sessions so you have more time to practice what you are learning.
Initial sessions are 75 minutes ongoing sessions may be 45-75 minutes or longer depending on need.
Patients who work with us report improvements in a few sessions. More difficult issues may take longer. People come to therapy for different reasons but universally people don’t initiate counseling unless they are in some type of emotional pain. Our attitude is to try to make every session count.
We welcome couples, children, adolescents, teens, and individuals of diverse backgrounds, cultures, religious traditions, and lifestyles.
We will be able to work with you using a variety of tools and techniques and specialize in a variety of issues and concerns.
All client-therapist conversations are private and confidential. In those rare exceptions when the safety of a client or other is at risk disclosure of confidential client-therapist information takes place.
