Family Therapy
Whether you are the parent or the child, the family unit is a crucial part of your day-to-day life. The family structure is an ideal that has existed for centuries and is often referenced as a point of strength in literature, history, and art. While depictions of families throughout history are often interpreted as happy, idealistic relationships, some can be interpreted as negative relationships that are pooling with mistrust and deceit. Sadly, quite a few modern-day families can relate to the latter of these two depictions more so than the former.
Family therapy is a therapeutic approach that is unique because therapists must deal with each member’s individual personality while considering each individual’s role in the family simultaneously. Most families seek out therapy, as a whole, because they are noticing high levels of stress within the household that don’t seem to dissipate on their own. Often, these conflicts are the result of a familial trauma that has occurred such as:
- death of a family member or close friend
- loss of a family pet
- divorce
- relocation to a new state, area of town, or home
- domestic violence or child abuse
- substance abuse
- eating disorders
Due to the unique circumstances of family therapy, families interested in learning more should look for a therapist who is highly trained in this particular form of counseling. So, who should families be looking for? Marriage, Family Therapists (MFT) and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) are both required to focus on family therapy during their training. These two types of therapists are both available at True North Counseling and they practice the most common approaches of family therapy which include Bowenian, Structural, Systemic, and Strategic.
Most families who seek out therapy together tend to complete an average of 5-20 sessions before a resolution is found. This all depends on the size of the family, the issue at hand, and the willingness of the family to work together towards a solution. Therapists are trained to help diffuse tense situations while observing the hierarchies and communication systems within a family to help get to a resolution sooner. Therapists try to achieve this without causing more trauma to any family member or family member’s relationship.
If you are part of a family that you feel is struggling with one of the traumatic experiences listed above, or another issue, reach out to True North Counseling. Our group of contracted therapists is all clinically trained and suitable to help your family’s unique situation. If you feel that your family’s situation may benefit from one member receiving teen therapy or individual therapy, we can help with that as well. You can reach True North Counseling by calling 502-777-7525 or visiting our Contact Us page.
