When I first meet someone and strike up a conversation about what I do, I’m often asked who reaps family therapy benefits. Well, the short answer to that question is: everyone. All families experience challenging times. When a family goes through a crisis of some sort, how the family reacts is nearly as important as the crisis itself. That’s where family therapy plays a big role—it works through the challenges within a family, helping each family member grow and learn from the experience.
Certain families have “big” experiences that can make family therapy especially beneficial. If someone in your family has been diagnosed with a serious illness; if a family member has a mental health condition or addiction; if there’s continual conflict between family members; or if a child is going through difficulty and you aren’t sure why, family therapy has a definite role in helping you through those challenges. But even families dealing with the seemingly mundane, everyday challenges of life will come away with three key benefits from time spent in family therapy.
San Diego Family Therapy Benefits: Creates Stronger Emotional Connections
Americans are experiencing a change in mindset when it comes to emotions. In the past, people were encouraged to put their emotions to the side and deal with life. Now we know that it’s important to work through emotions rather than masking them.
Feeling comfortable sharing your emotions can be a challenge, even among family members. It’s important to establish strong emotional connections that allow individuals to truly be themselves and families to work through issues as a whole.
Families are now realizing that they need to be emotionally and relationally strong. They understand that the emotional piece is important now, but aren’t quite sure how to have the conversations that strengthen their relationship. Family therapy is the “safe place” that helps families find that comfort level and strengthen those connections. As families come together in therapy, I work with them to have those important conversations.
San Diego Family Therapy Benefits: Builds Better Communication Skills
So how does family therapy impact communication skills? Consider this: Does your family typically have “normal” discussions in a calm tone of voice? Or do you find yourself beginning a normal conversation and then breaking off into heated battle?
Most people don’t really know or understand the basics of healthy communication. We often simply want to get our point across without giving thought to others in the conversation. It’s something each family has to continually work through.
Family therapy helps family members strengthen their communication skills, allowing them to more constructively work through any challenges they encounter. When you can properly express your feelings and share ideas, it makes dealing with those challenges much easier.
San Diego Family Therapy Benefits: Develops Clearer Boundaries and Rules
The first family therapy sessions are very much about getting to know you. I strive to gain a clear and complete understanding of who you are as individuals and as a family. As part of that, we take a deep dive into how your family functions.
You may be dealing with marital problems, conflict between parents and children or between one child and another, or something beyond the control of your family, such as a health issue or a job loss. Family therapy helps you work through how your family currently works—including family rules—and determine whether that actually works for you and how it can be made better.
My ultimate goal, after all, is to strengthen your family so that you can handle any issues that may arise.
If your family is experiencing a challenging time, I’m here to help. Schedule a free, 15-minute call with me to see how therapy may help your family.