What Is Family Therapy?

In any family, it is normal to have a certain level of conflict.

In fact, conflict might even be healthy and productive at times! However, there are times when circumstances might feel extra stressful or conflict reaches a level of impacting the overall well-being of family members. Families seek counseling for a variety of reasons, and there is no strict rule about when to seek help.

Some common reasons why families choose to do counseling include:

Improving Communication:

Family therapy often focuses on improving communication skills among family members. This can involve learning effective listening techniques, expressing thoughts and feelings openly, and resolving conflicts in a healthy manner. Family therapists are trained to help people communicate in ways that are effective and understanding. The therapist may teach you and your family members effective communication techniques, such as active listening, assertiveness, and expressing emotions constructively.

Resolving Conflicts:

Family therapy helps families identify sources of conflict and develop strategies to resolve them. By understanding each other’s perspectives and learning to compromise, families can work through disagreements and build stronger relationships with one another. 

Addressing Family Dynamics:

Every family has a dynamic! Family therapists help families explore their roles, rules, and dynamics within the family system. By understanding how these factors influence behavior and interactions, families can make positive changes to improve relationships and the overall functioning of the entire family system.

Building Support:

Family therapy provides a supportive environment where family members can express themselves without judgment and receive validation and encouragement from others. This can help individuals feel understood and less alone in their struggles.

Life Transitions:

Significant life events such as divorce, death, remarriage, moving, or the birth of a child can change family dynamics. Counseling can help families navigate these transitions and adjust to new roles and relationships. At times and when possible, family counseling is done before a big transition to minimize the impact it might have on the family. 

Loss or Grief:

Loss and grief can be a challenging time for everyone. Families experiencing the loss of a loved one or another significant loss may benefit from counseling to process their grief and support each other through the grieving process.

What to expect from family therapy? 

Overall, family therapy provides a structured and supportive environment for everyone involved in the process. The first session is often dedicated to getting to know you and your family’s situation. The therapist will ask questions about your family history, current concerns, and goals for therapy. As the sessions progress, the therapist will help your family explore its dynamics, including roles, patterns of interaction, and communication styles. Depending on the family’s needs, the therapist may conduct individual sessions with specific family members in addition to group sessions involving certain people in the family. Individual sessions provide an opportunity for deeper exploration of personal issues or conflicts that are impacting the entire system of the family. The therapist may give the family tasks, activities, or homework assignments to do together outside of the session time. Throughout therapy, the therapist will monitor your family’s progress toward the established goals. They may adjust the treatment plan as needed to ensure that the family is making meaningful strides toward positive change. When the family has achieved the therapy goals or reached a point where further progress is unlikely, the therapist will conclude the counseling process. 

Addressing the stigma of family therapy

Misconceptions about therapy, such as the belief that it is only for people with severe mental illness tend to create a stigma about therapy. Some people might think family therapy is only for families that are “dysfunctional.” Family therapy is not exclusively for families that are considered “messed up” or “dysfunctional”. In fact, many families seek counseling as a proactive measure to strengthen their relationships, improve communication, and address minor issues before they escalate into more significant problems. Furthermore, conflict and communication issues among families are normal, and seeking extra support is a strength and sign that families want to improve, grow, and change! Getting extra help can be powerful! 

Begin Family Therapy in Englewood, CO

Thinking about family therapy? Reach out to Mountain Vista Psychology today to talk to a highly trained mental health health professional! Our team is here to offer support from Englewood, Greenwood Village, Littleton, and across the state. You can start your therapy journey by following these simple steps:

1. Schedule a free phone consultation
2. Begin meeting with a caring therapist
3. Start creating stronger family ties!

Other Services Offered by Mountain Vista Psychology

At Mountain Vista Psychology, we provide many services to help empower individuals on their journey toward mental and emotional well-being. In addition to family therapy, we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health concerns. Other services offered include Telehealth Therapy services, we also provide counseling services for child counseling, teen counseling, adult counseling, & more. We also provide Neurofeedback Therapy services for Neurofeedback for ADHD, Neurofeedback for Autism, Neurofeedback for Concussion/ TBI, and Neurofeedback for Sports/Performance. Our team also provides testing for learning disabilities, ADHD, and Autism. Be sure to check out our Blog and FAQs for more about us and our services!