The Healing Power of Family Therapy: More Than Family Involvement
While the focus of child therapy is on the healing and development of individual children, therapists still work closely with children’s parents and other family members to assist them in understanding and relating to their child. When therapists conduct family therapy, they aim to do more than involve the family in the child's treatment; instead, they focus on the healing and growth of the family as a whole. In family therapy sessions may include all members of a household, and may even include grandparents or other members of the extended family.
Family therapy can assist families in a number of circumstances, including:
- When families have difficulty communicating feelings and ideas to each other in a constructive manner
- When families are anticipating or have experienced major transitions, such as when a breadwinner retires or when a child goes off to college
- When new members, such as stepparents and stepsiblings, enter the family
- When a family member suffers from a mental, developmental, physical, or alcohol or substance abuse difficulty that is impacting the entire family
- When families are adjusting to losses such as a family member’s death or a parental separation
Effective family therapists capitalize on the strengths that a family possesses and build upon them. They strengthen parents and caretakers by assisting them in demonstrating love and affection, and offer them tools to maintain an orderly and respectful family atmosphere. They encourage families to communicate in a positive and constructive manner. When family therapy is successful, parents feel more empowered, family members are more supportive of one another, and all the individuals within the family are better able to grow and thrive.
Couple's Therapy: It's About Communication
Couple’s therapy is a mode of treatment that aims to enhance to enhance the connection between two adults engaged in a long-term relationship. Couples may benefit from therapy if:
- They would like to increase their intimacy, improve their sexual satisfaction, or develop more romance in their relationship
- They want to cooperate more effectively in parenting their children
- They would like to support each other better in managing stress. Sources of stress may include the demands of employment, health concerns, or the responsibilities of parenting.
- They wish to support each other when one or both partners have suffered emotionally, such as after a loss or an illness.
- They would like to manage daily disputes in a more peaceful manner
- They want to resolve differences over major decisions, such as whether to get married or have a child
- They wish to address underlying conflicts in their relationships, such as disputes over money or the role of in-laws
- They want to adjust to a major transition in their relationship. Examples of challenging transitions include: after a couple marries, when the first child is born, or upon the retirement of a spouse. Therapy can be particularly helpful when couples are beginning a stepfamily.