Solve Family Problems With Counseling

You might be aware that talk therapy can be beneficial for people experiencing mental health challenges and for couples experiencing marital strife, but you might not recognize the benefits of therapy for families experiencing a wide range of issues. For example, if your family has been navigating challenges like frequent conflict, emotional distance, major life changes, trauma, rebellious behavior, or illness, you might want to consider trying family therapy.  

This article will explore what family therapy is, whether it might be a good option for your family, and how to find the right provider for your family.

What is family therapy? 

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy (often called “talk therapy”) that works with family members to improve their relationships. Like other types of talk therapy, family therapy is led by a licensed mental health professional, such as a marriage and family therapist (LMFT) or psychologist. 

This therapy may include any group of biological or chosen family members, such as immediate family members, guardians, grandparents, friends, or caregivers. While family therapy often involves group therapy sessions, there are sometimes where the therapist might recommend working with individual members to gain greater clarity or to provide an opportunity to share outside of the group dynamic. 

There are many different types of family therapy, but typically sessions will include learning new skills (such as communication skills and coping skills), developing a greater understanding of family members, and building healthier interpersonal relationships to improve the well-being of everyone.

Signs your family might benefit from group therapy

Most families navigate challenges from time-to-time. But, when those issues don’t seem to get better, or it’s harming the wellbeing of members of the family, it may be time to reach out for professional help. 

Some types of challenges often faced by families include: 

• Major life changes: Examples include job loss/change, moving, changing schools, natural disasters, divorce, or the death of someone close. Major changes—even if they’re good—can cause stress, worry, and unpredictability. Whether good or not, therapy may be a good idea.
• Increased pressure: Is your child applying to college or have they joined a competitive sports team? If your child is under significant pressure to perform in school or extracurricular activities, it may be a good opportunity to work together in therapy and ensure they know you love them regardless of the outcome of their efforts. 
• Illness: Mental disorders, like eating disorders or depression, and chronic or serious diseases can disrupt family dynamics and be challenging for family members to navigate. Family therapists can provide educational resources and help members learn to cope with these challenges and support each other. 
• Caregiving: If aging, illness, or other challenges result in family members being put in caregiving roles, it may be a good idea to work with a family therapist. They can provide tools for caregivers to manage their responsibilities with their own mental health needs. 
• Conflict: Have arguments, heated disagreements, or silent treatments become a part of your normal routine? Family therapists can help you learn to communicate more effectively, actively listen to one another, and now when it’s time to take a step back and clear your head. 

Even if your family is not experiencing any challenges, family therapy can provide an opportunity to proactively strengthen your bonds and promote well-being. 

Types of family therapy

Family therapists may utilize different therapeutic modalities, including the following: 

• Family systems therapy: This type of therapy emphasis the family unit (system) and the background of cultural, social, and familial influences on it. Under this approach, therapists believe that behavior is deeply intertwined and influenced by family functioning, thus by improving the functioning of the family unit, everyone will benefit. 

  • Though it can be useful for many families, this type of therapy is often recommended for families navigating challenging parent-child relationships, chronic illness, parenting differences, or substance use disorders. 

• Supportive family therapy: SFT is commonly used to help navigate a challenge faced by a particular family member, such as a chronic illness or mental disorder, while recognizing the impact on every member of the family. 
• Narrative family therapy: Narrative family therapy emphasizes the narratives we tell ourselves about our lives and helping to empower families to view their life from a different perspective and gain more agency. 
• Functional family therapy: This common type of family therapy is often used to manage behavioral issues in children. During functional family therapy sessions, the therapist will assess dynamics that lead or contribute to behavioral challenges, and help parents develop healthier skills to respond with approaches like positive reinforcement for good behavior.  
• Couple’s therapy: Many marriage and family therapists offer couples and marriage therapy, which, as the name suggests, focuses on romantic relationships. Couples therapy might use different types of therapeutic approaches, such as interpersonal psychotherapy or cognitive behavioral therapy. 

Many people find the wide range of family therapy options overwhelming (in psychology, this is often referred to as the “paradox of choice”). While different types of family therapy might be better-suited to address certain types of challenges, it’s likely that any form of evidence-based family therapy provided by a licensed mental health professional will be beneficial.

How to find a family therapist

There are many ways to find a family therapist. For example: 

• Ask for a recommendation: You might want to ask close friends, your family pediatrician, or (if you’re seeing one) your individual therapist for a recommendation.
• Use a directory: If you have health insurance, it may be a good idea to start your search by checking to see if family therapy is covered by your health plan. If so, you may be able to use the provider directory on your insurance providers website to search for licensed providers in your area. 
• National organizations: Organizations like the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) provide directories that can help you find a therapist. 

Once you’ve found a potential therapist, you can start the vetting process to see if they may be a good match. It may be a good idea to: 

• Check their background information: The therapist should provide you with some information on their education, specializations, how many years of experience they have, and their license type and number. You can often look up their licensing number online to ensure it’s up-to-date, and you can see if their license has ever been suspended or revoked. 
• Schedule a session: The first session is a good opportunity to see if your family meshes well with the therapist. Ask your family members what they thought of the therapist, how comfortable they feel around them, and if they’d like to try working with a different provider instead. Nearly half of people seeking therapy see at least two therapists before finding the right one, and it’s both acceptable and encouraged that you find a provider you and your family are comfortable working with. 
• Ask them questions: Before the first session, you and your family might want to think about any questions you’d like to ask. Example questions might include: 
  • What type of therapy do you practice? 
  • Have you ever worked with a family experiencing similar challenges? 
  • How many sessions do you think we might benefit from?
  • When should we reassess if we aren’t seeing improvements? 
  • Do you have cultural competence and experience working with families like ours (ex: LGBTQIA+, different cultures, ethnicities, racial backgrounds, religions, etc.)? 

The best family therapist is someone who listens to what you have to say without judgement, makes you feel comfortable, shows up to appointments on time, validates everyone’s feelings, and respects every member of the family.

Online support for navigating family challenges

Searching for a therapist can be a difficult process, but online therapy platforms like Regain can make the process easier. This platform supports thousands of licensed individual and couple’s therapists, and you’re matched with someone who will likely be a good after filling out a questionnaire. 

While they don’t accept health insurance, online therapy is often more affordable than in-person therapy, with rates typically equivalent to what you might expect to spend on an insurance co-payment. Plus, many people prefer the convenience and comfort of attending sessions from home, especially when more than one person will be attending sessions. 

Peer-reviewed studies have supported the effectiveness of online family therapy and couple’s therapy. For example, a 2021 review published in the Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review found that remote family therapy has moderate-strong evidence supporting its efficacy for a range of challenges. And another 2021 study found that online and in-person couples therapy are both equal and effective ways to improve relationship satisfaction and mental health. 

Takeaway 

Many families experience occasional conflict, major life changes, or mental health challenges. When these things happen, it can be very useful to work with a family therapist. Family therapy can help educate family members on mental health challenges, communication skills, effective parenting, and other areas that can have a lasting impact on family relations. They can also help family members learn healthier coping skills and provide everyone with a space to share their experience. 

Online couples therapy can help couples navigate many family challenges, such as different parenting styles, conflict, or other things that often affect the whole family.