What is family therapy?
Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.
How does family therapy work?
Thriveworks family therapists in Lakewood, OH usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.
What is the most effective family therapy?
The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.
How do I know if my family needs therapy?
This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.
What is included in family therapy?
In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.
What is the success rate of family therapy?
Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.
Is family therapy conducted in person or online?
Thriveworks therapists in Lakewood, OH offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
How long does family therapy last?
Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.
Need more help deciding?
A family therapist at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH is a mental health expert who specializes in understanding how families—and the individuals within families—can function during both happy and unhappy times. A family therapist can identify patterns that might be unhealthy or dysfunctional, and encourage things that are working. These relationship counselors can sort through your family baggage and help you reconnect emotionally. And they can usually do it in 12 sessions or fewer because family therapy is typically targeted, short-term, and solution-focused.
If you think you could benefit from family therapy, reach out to Thriveworks Lakewood. We offer evening and weekend sessions, accept most major insurances, and provide same-week appointments to new clients.
How Family Therapy Can Help
Family therapy can teach you practical ways to improve your communication skills. This is useful not only within your family, but in the wider interpersonal world as well. One of the top-rated, licensed family therapists at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH can help cultivate your and your family members’ ability to:
- Practice empathy for others
- Resolve conflicts
- Manage your anger
- Listen to each other
- Use neutral language or “I” statements
- Nurture a supportive home environment
- Establish healthy boundaries
- Recognize the signs of a problem
- Address underlying maladaptive feelings and behaviors
- Build trust
Not every family needs the same results from a family therapist, but common denominators probably include increased trust, honesty, and emotional security for all members. Thriveworks family therapists can help you achieve those relationship goals.
Common Indicators That It Might Be Time to See a Family Therapist
Though every family is different, certain issues can be red or yellow flags that might indicate a family could benefit from attending counseling together. Consider scheduling an appointment with a family therapist at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH if you notice the presence of any of these elements in your household:
- Anger management issues
- Physical or emotional abuse
- Psychological disorders like depression or anxiety
- Substance abuse or addiction
- Bullying at school or home
- Bedwetting or frequent nightmares
- Chronic illness
- A family member with special needs
- Eating disorders
Types of Family Therapy
The five common modalities of family therapy aren’t mutually exclusive. Some marriage and family therapists (MFTs) employ a fusion of different types, depending on what works best for you and your loved ones. Here are the five main modalities:
- Structural therapy, which looks at the roles everyone plays in the family
- Milan therapy, which sees the body as a system guided by natural behavior
- Strategic therapy, which examines and redirects patterns of behavior
- Narrative therapy, which emphasizes individual experiences
- Transgenerational therapy, which assesses relationship conflicts from a generational standpoint
Schedule Your First Session with a Family Therapist at Thriveworks in Lakewood, OH
You can schedule your first session with a Thriveworks family therapist in Lakewood, OH now, and see a counselor as soon as this week. You can even schedule online therapy sessions if it’s more convenient for all your family members to meet up virtually.
It’s always a great time to start working on strengthening your family bonds with the help of a Thriveworks mental health provider in Lakewood, OH. We look forward to helping you and your loved ones.
