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 Little Elm, TX 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 Little Elm, TX 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?
The licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFTs) at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX have extensive experience and training in family therapy modalities that can help couples and family members solve their problems with love, dignity, and values intact. A family therapy treatment plan is usually short term, not long term, and can be successfully completed in fewer than 12 sessions. If you think you and your family could benefit from therapy, consider reaching out to Thriveworks Little Elm to schedule your first session.
What Are the Indications for Family Therapy?
People often come to family therapy at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX because they’re dealing with a specific issue or stressor at home. These issues might include the following:
- Mood disorders
- Postpartum depression
- Anxiety
- Anorexia or bulimia
- Behavioral problems
- Neurodiverse children issues
- Substance abuse or addiction
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Trauma
- Bereavement
- Financial stress
- Marital stress
- Rebellion
- Juvenile delinquency or crime
- Estrangements
- Conflict and tension in family relationships
- Emotional or verbal abuse
- Chronic illness
- Caregiver burnout
- Codependency
- Perfectionism
- Unhealthy parenting styles
- Conflicting parenting styles
If one person in the family is suffering from a psychological or behavioral health condition, it can affect the whole family. As the saying goes, a family can only be as happy as its least happy member. A family therapist might be able to identify areas where one family member could benefit from individual counseling or social work.
The Goals and Benefits of Family Therapy
The goals for marriage and family therapy can differ from family to family. Some common goals that mental health professionals at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX may encounter include the following:
- To heal or reconcile
- To improve communication
- To reduce conflict and tension
- To forgive, or ask for forgiveness
- To establish healthy boundaries
- To manage anger, anxiety, and other emotions
- To build or rebuild trust in each other
- To explore the origins of misunderstandings
- To deal with specific external stressors
Lessons related to these goals can serve family members for their entire lives.
How Does a Family Counseling Session Work?
A family counseling session works by first gathering everyone in the same room. (Though keep in mind that the room can be virtual these days. Thriveworks LMFTs offer online counseling sessions to families as well as traditional in-person sessions). Then the therapist, acting as a facilitator in this safe space, uses their communication skills to encourage each family member to talk about their goals for therapy. Depending on the ages and comfort levels of everyone involved, a therapist might use icebreaker exercises or games to put everyone at their ease.
One thing a family therapist doesn’t do is assign blame. LMFTs at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX are responsible for finding new ways that everyone can work together and find solutions to their problems. They can also foster compassion between family members by helping them see each other’s points of view.
Reinforce Your Bonds with Family Therapy at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX
The licensed family therapists at Thriveworks in Little Elm, TX accept most major forms of health insurance coverage. If a family is paying out-of-pocket, Thriveworks offers competitive self-pay rates. This all helps enable access to critical mental health services for the people who need them.
Thriveworks family therapy can enhance the quality of your family bonds in myriad ways. All you have to do is call the office to get started. Our high-touch staff can help match you to a licensed counselor. If you call today, you and your loved ones may be able to meet with your exceptional therapist as early as this week.
We look forward to helping you and your family!
