There  is no way around it… family therapy can be tough! First, getting  multiple people to commit to a specific time once a week to meet  together with everyone’s busy schedule can be a daunting task in its own  right. After that, getting everyone to open up about various family  struggles can also be difficult. Doing this alone can be overwhelming.  But guess what? You are not alone and this is where we come in. Meeting  in a natural environment with an outside person, your therapist, you can  slowly start to tackle some family concerns. The therapist’s job is to  help create a safe therapeutic environment with important ground rules  for how to manage and discuss family dynamics that cause difficulty for  your family unit.

Family  stress and conflict can arise no matter what stage of life your family  is in. You might have young children, teenagers, or the children can be  grown-up and out of the home.  Perhaps your family struggles during  holiday parties or maybe your young children are constantly getting into  trouble and fighting with each other. Sometimes environment changes  bring on, what seems to be, a whole new issue out of nowhere. For  example, COVID-19 and the lockdowns and increased isolation have  increased family stress across the country. Perhaps it's clear now that  family therapy is what is needed. Below you will see a short list of  some goals for family therapy and some ground rules that must apply for  successful family counseling.

Family-based therapy offers numerous benefits and can help families:

• Improve Communication: Family therapy teaches effective communication techniques, enabling members to express their thoughts and feelings more clearly and listen to each other more effectively.

• Resolve Conflicts: Therapists guide families through conflict resolution strategies, helping them address and manage disputes healthily.

• Strengthen Relationships: Families can build stronger, healthier relationships by understanding and addressing underlying issues.

• Develop Problem-Solving Skills: Families learn to work together to solve problems, fostering a sense of unity and cooperation.

• Support Mental Health: Family therapy can support the mental health of all members by providing a supportive environment to discuss and address individual and collective concerns.

There  are many different approaches that a therapist can choose to use in  helping a family. Here are two common examples; strategic approach and  structural approach.

Strategic family therapy is a brief, problem-focused therapeutic approach. It aims to address specific issues that a family is facing by identifying and changing dysfunctional patterns of interaction. Therapists  use various techniques, such as paradoxical interventions and  reframing, to help families view their problems differently and find  solutions. The therapist actively guides the healing process, often  assigning tasks or homework to help families practice new behaviors  outside sessions.

Structural family therapy is an approach developed by Salvador Minuchin that focuses on the organization and hierarchy within a family. It aims to identify and restructure dysfunctional family structures and boundaries to promote healthier interactions.The  therapist observes and maps out family interactions to understand their  structure and dynamics. Techniques such as role-playing, boundary  setting, and family mapping are used to alter the family structure and  improve relationships.