[dropcap]E[/dropcap]very now and then families need family therapy. A child’s behaviour in school can be a cry for help. If the parents do not recognize the signs, the child’s condition can deteriorate quickly. One of the signs that a family needs therapy is when children exhibit behaviours that are unusual.
Family therapy changes processes and structures in the family and the environment. It is a form of psychotherapy that solves family issues through counseling. In family therapy all or many family members are involved in the therapy sessions, and the family members are considered to be a single unit.
When a family experiences or is going through issues such as divorce, marriage, family conflicts, addictions, depression, and family problems, then it is time for the family to seek family therapy to solve the issues and get the family back on track. This prevents pathologies from developing, as well as problems arising from negative behaviours.
Family therapy has helped numerous families repair and rebuild. The therapists typically work through the issues and address them with each family member in the therapy sessions, while treating the family as a single unit. The family therapist helps the family resolve issues through good communication. Each person’s behaviour and contribution to issues is analyzed by the therapist, and responsibility for fixing issues is assigned to each family member.
Ideally sessions with the family therapist will be regular enough but there will be enough space in-between to allow family members work through the steps and instructions in order to record progress.
When certain issues and behaviours arise in the family, the professional third party who conducts the family therapy helps the family resolve issues such as conflict between parents and children.
Parent-child conflict can be resolved with family therapy. In addition, conflict between the parents and multiple children can be resolved as well. These conflicts arise as a result of disagreements, abandonment, neglect, peer pressure, bad company, indifference of parents, and a host of other issues.
Family therapy can also be used to resolve issues that have developed outside the family as a result of on-going family issues. Examples are social problems, problems at work, and problems at school. It can also be used to resolve problems with extended family members.
Another area where families can use family therapy is in divorce and marriage. When a couple is having marital problems or is going through a divorce, family therapy can help the whole family work through the issues and resolve problems to bring the whole family to a healthy place. It can help the members of the family and the couple as well.
When one or more members of a family are dealing with a chronic illness that can cause trauma for the whole family, family therapy is required to enable all family members deal with the situation and overcome it in a healthy and beneficial manner.
In a situation where there has been death in the family or other traumatic incidents, family therapy is required to enable each family member deal with grief, and work through the issues in a healthy manner.
When there has been violence in the family, and issues like child abuse, or incest; after the legal system has dealt with the issue from a law enforcement standpoint, it is necessary for family members to have family therapy to ensure that there is mental and psychological healing.
These interventions help families and the individuals within them to deal with issues, repair brokenness, and address matters from a mental health perspective. Troubled families can be made better with family therapy.
When undergoing therapy, the family should get all members to lay out their expectations and communicate it to the therapist. Everyone should be involved and commit to the process with openness and sincerity.
If some family members withdraw or refuse to be a part of the process, the family members who go through the process should obtain relevant tools from the therapist to effectively communicate with the family members who do not join the family therapy.
Utilizing new tools and frameworks can change the environment and family dynamics in a way that impacts family members who did not join the professional sessions.
