Family Therapy
Family therapy utilizes group psychotherapy to enhance relationships and behaviors within a family unit. This type of talk therapy can assist in various situations, such as coping with death and grief, adjusting to major life changes or medical conditions, and resolving relationship conflicts.
Family units can come in many different sizes and configurations. They can comprise parents/guardians, children, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and so on. Those part of a unit don’t necessarily have to be related. It can also include the likes of friends and kinship carers. In summary, if you have a group of people who care for one another, they can be classed as a family unit.
Helping Families Heal
Family Therapy: What is it?
A trained mental health professional conducts family therapy. These professionals, qualified through graduate or master’s programs specializing in family therapy, operate in fields like counseling, psychology, and therapy. Their expertise provides the guidance, education, and support needed to enhance the functionality and well-being of your family unit.
While family therapy involves the entire group, there are situations where individual behavioral or mental health services are provided. For example, if one family member is living with depression, therapy will include the family unit to support and treat the condition effectively.
Family Therapy SPECIALISTS for Metro West
Based in Dedham, MA, Windward Mental Health is an Psychiatric Day Treatment* center offering a range of psychiatric services, including family therapy. Our accredited programs are designed to help families resolve issues and move toward a healthier, more fulfilling future.
We specialize in both marriage and family therapy. If an issue has disrupted your family unit, our licensed and state-certified mental health professionals can help rebuild it. Our welcoming facility provides personalized treatment plans tailored to your specific circumstances.
When new clients join us, we take the time to thoroughly understand their situation. By applying our research and expert training, we offer family therapy with a long-lasting positive impact.
Our team of allied mental health professionals can also determine if other treatment plans or co-treatment would be beneficial alongside family therapy. By maximizing therapeutic collaboration, we craft the most effective treatment plans for you and your family.
The Different Types of Family Therapy
Professional clinical mental health counselors use a range of family therapy programs. We are no different. Taking the extra step of matching up a specific family therapy program with a family’s specific circumstances and needs allows us to provide the most effective form of treatment. We can also take different elements from therapeutic approaches, combine them, and create a bespoke strategy that best matches the needs of both you and your family.
Below are common types of family therapy:
When families face challenges with adult children displaying behavioral issues, professionals often utilize Functional Family Therapy. FFT assesses family dynamics to understand how they may contribute to problematic behavior. This therapy emphasizes positive reinforcement, enhancing parenting skills, and improving family communication. By addressing these dynamics, FFT supports families in creating a more harmonious and functional environment.
Conducted by a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), this therapy assists couples in resolving their issues. An LMFT identifies the problems and develops healthy resolutions, addressing issues stemming from finances, mental health conditions, communication breakdowns, and parenting challenges. This specialized training helps couples navigate their difficulties and improve their relationship dynamics effectively.
This approach examines the family’s structure, including hierarchies, boundaries, and relationships. A therapist analyzes family interactions to identify problematic patterns and propose alternatives, fostering a more positive structure. By improving the way family members relate to each other, Structural Family Therapy aims to create a healthier, more functional family unit.
Additionally, proper medication management is crucial, especially if you have a dual diagnosis. Trusting experts for this ensures that both mental and physical health are managed effectively, preventing further complications.
This short-term therapy combines both functional and structural elements to support families with adult children facing behavioral issues. It emphasizes the family’s role as a key component in the adult child’s development and future. By making positive changes in family dynamics, Strategic Family Therapy helps create a supportive environment that promotes healthier behaviors and relationships.
This approach focuses on how a family’s issues are influenced by their living conditions. A therapist examines roles within the family, such as parenting, relationships with partners, and dynamics with parents. Additional context is considered from socio-economic status, political views, and religious beliefs. These elements are seen as crucial for emotional well-being and psychological development, providing a comprehensive understanding of the family’s dynamics and fostering healthier interactions and personal growth.
How Family Therapists Can Help You
Families attend therapy for various reasons, whether to improve as a group or support an individual. Family therapy can address numerous conditions and problems, including:
- Physical and emotional trauma
- Communication issues
- Stress management
- Anxiety and depression
- Behavioral problems
- Grief and loss
- Relationship issues and divorce
- Sudden life changes like incarceration, moving, or unemployment
- Coping with a family member’s chronic or acute illness
At our Metro West facility, our family therapists have supported many families, including those with members over 18 dealing with mental health conditions like anorexia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, OCD, substance use disorder, and schizophrenia after acute hospitalization.
This therapy also benefits families with neurodivergent members, offering guidance on living supportively with conditions like autism or ADHD.
Family Therapy: Behind the Process
An evidence-based and effective treatment, family therapy utilizes theory and skill-based dialogue. Led by an objective, supportive mental health professional, this therapy gives your family a safe and non-judgmental environment to talk openly. With expertise in counseling and specialist therapy techniques, the professional will be able to help resolve issues currently troubling your family.
As part of the process, a therapist will typically cover various points during a session. These points include:
- Ask each family member what they hope to gain from therapy. This can also involve asking them about their current challenges and concerns.
- Provide clarity and ensure everyone’s feelings and words are interpreted correctly.
- Help each family member to understand not just the impact of their behaviors but also their words during therapy.
- Encourage each participant to talk and actively listen to everyone.
- Suggest strategies and coping skills to change troublesome patterns and behaviors.
- Explore possible ways a family can make positive changes by working together.
The main aim of any family therapy course is to enhance the functionality and well-being of your family unit. This can be done by supplying you with strategies, advice, and helpful resources. When it comes to treating a behavioral or mental health condition present in one family member, therapy can give you a greater understanding of their situation, along with what positive approach the rest of your family can take.
For family therapy to work, it’s imperative for every participant to be open and actively involved. A lack of conversation between each family member will only have a negative impact on treatment. Trust also needs to be established between your family and therapist.
The number of sessions required depends on various aspects. In certain cases, therapy can be done in just a couple of sessions. Other cases can last for several months or longer.An evidence-based and effective treatment, family therapy utilizes theory and skill-based dialogue. Led by an objective, supportive mental health professional, this therapy provides a safe, non-judgmental environment for open discussion. The therapist, skilled in counseling and specialized techniques, helps resolve family issues by:
- Understanding each family member’s goals and challenges
- Ensuring clarity and correct interpretation of feelings and words
- Highlighting the impact of behaviors and words
- Encouraging active listening and participation
- Suggesting strategies and coping skills
- Exploring ways to make positive changes collectively
The primary aim is to improve the functionality and well-being of the family unit by providing strategies, advice, and resources. When addressing a mental health condition in one member, therapy enhances the family’s understanding and supports a positive approach.
Successful family therapy requires openness and active involvement from all participants. Establishing trust between the family and therapist is crucial.
The number of sessions varies based on individual needs, ranging from a few sessions to several months or longer.
The Benefits of Using a Family Therapist
Research indicates that family therapy can effectively improve various emotional, mental, and health issues. From obesity to substance abuse, this therapy reduces conflict and enhances relationships within the family.
Additional benefits include better academic performance for adult children in school and improved function and clarity for working family members.
If you seek a professional, proven family therapist who can make a difference, contact us. We have supported many patients and are ready to help you and your family achieve a healthier, more harmonious life.
Contact Us Today To Find Out More
At our specialist Psychiatric Day Treatment* center in Dedham, we can help you and your family heal and improve your relationships. Get in touch, and we can start your recovery journey together. Our dedicated team is ready to support you every step of the way, providing the expertise and care needed to foster a healthier, more harmonious family dynamic. Contact us today to begin this transformative process.
