In family therapy, family members meet with a licensed mental health professional, often a psychologist or social worker with special training in family counseling. Some therapists use specific techniques, such as mirroring, to teach families how to communicate better.
Other therapists may employ family education, such as educating members about mental health conditions that affect their loved ones. This can help families support each other during tough times and find solutions together.
Relationships
Family therapy teaches families how to communicate better and resolve conflicts. This improves the quality of relationships within the family and can benefit interpersonal relationships outside the family, as well.
Family therapists use techniques like empathetic listening to encourage members to express their feelings without judgment. They also teach members to listen attentively and respond thoughtfully, fostering an environment of understanding and connection. Non-verbal cues like eye contact, nodding, and clenched fists are also important to consider when communicating with family members.
Family therapy is often used to address a number of issues, including mental illness, substance abuse, chronic health conditions, grief, and financial difficulties. However, the effectiveness of this type of treatment may depend on the commitment of family members to participate and the therapist’s skill in guiding them. It can be difficult to break through the guarded facade many families put up, particularly if one member of the family is resistant to the process.
Conflicts
Conflicts are a normal part of life, but when they're frequent or unresolved, they can strain family relationships. Family therapy helps you learn healthier ways to communicate and resolve conflicts, so you can build stronger bonds with your loved ones.
During sessions, your counselor will provide a safe space for discussion of the issues that cause tension in your family. They'll also help you develop healthy coping strategies to address future challenges.
Many families have unhealthy communication patterns, such as avoiding conflict, resorting to yelling, or shifting blame to other members of the family. In these cases, the therapist may employ some psychodynamic methods, such as interpreting family ego defenses and intergenerational trauma, to help all family members gain new insight into their dynamics. These methods, however, can be time consuming and require the involvement of multiple family members. This can sometimes trigger the therapist's countertransference and lead to them taking sides, which can hamper the therapeutic process.
Communication
A family therapist can help a family learn how to communicate better, especially during difficult conversations. Family therapy can also help family members develop healthy coping skills and find more productive ways to handle conflicts.
The therapist may use various techniques, depending on the family’s needs. These include role-playing exercises, guided discussions and collaborative problem-solving activities. The therapist may also encourage open anxiety and depression treatment center communication by demonstrating healthy listening and assertiveness skills.
Psychoeducation is another common component of family therapy. This involves teaching family members about mental health conditions, including their causes, symptoms and treatment. According to one 2018 study, when families understand mental health conditions, their members tend to have a more positive outlook and experience fewer relapses. The therapist may also teach family members stress-reduction techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation. This can help them cope with daily stresses, such as work and home life. It can also help them better manage a loved one’s mental illness.
Problem-Solving Skills
Whether it’s an argument over a child’s grades or a financial crisis, family therapy can teach you and your loved ones to handle problems more effectively. This improves your overall quality of life and helps you become more resilient to future adversities.
For example, a licensed marriage and family therapist may use problem-focused strategies to identify and address maladaptive family interactions that contribute to addiction. These include establishing clear rules, increasing parental involvement and creating guidelines for routine communication. The therapist may also help members understand how certain body language and verbal cues can exacerbate conflict, such as eye rolling, sighing and crossed arms.
You might also learn new coping skills through family therapy, such as thought replacement techniques to replace negative and anxious thoughts. This type of therapy also uses exposure therapy to help people overcome phobias.
