Is your family going through a rough patch? Whether the issue itself stems from a lack of understanding between those involved, sibling conflict, or developmental disagreements with a child, a difficult situation has an impact on the entire family. Family counseling can be helpful when problems arise and can help restore and improve communication and family functioning.
Some situations that may benefit from family counseling include:
- If a family is going through a loss.
- If a family member is suffering from substance abuse
- Issues between parents (parenting issues or going through a divorce)
- If a teenager is experiencing behavior issues such as anger outbursts
- Conflict among family members
How can family counseling help?
Family counseling can help open up a line of dialogue and communication and can help family members understand each other’s perspectives. This makes it easier to resolve disputes. During the counseling sessions, each member has the ability to learn ways of communicating better, as well as developing techniques to de-escalate arguments while making sure that everybody is getting heard. This can also help with parenting problems such as conflicting parenting styles, rule enforcement and remaining consistent with your child once the rules are established.
How is it accomplished?
Family counseling is my preferred mode of treatment for many interpersonal issues, particularly those that involve children. Each family is a unique system, and issues affecting one member of a family affect the whole unit. The conflict resolution and improved communication that flow from family counseling reverberate throughout the family in ways that benefit all members. Family counseling addresses these issues more efficiently than individual therapy, as beneficial as that is.