If you have never been to a therapist before—let alone family therapy— you might wonder what it is like, what the goals are, and how it could help you and your family.
Family therapy, unlike individual therapy, works to improve the relationships of a family system by engaging all members of the family. A Family system is any arrangement of relationships, which may include people in your family or origin, parents, siblings, grandparents, adoptive parents, uncles, and aunts if appropriate. A family system can also consist of a chosen family, that is people you may not be related to genetically but who you have chosen to be in meaningful relationship with.
Family therapy, unlike individual therapy, works to improve the relationships of a family system by engaging all members of the family. A family system is any arrangement of relationships, which may include people in your family of origin: parents, siblings, grandparents, adoptive parents, uncles, and aunts if appropriate. Additionally, a family system can consist of a chosen family—that is, people with whom you may not be related to genetically but whom you have chosen to be in a meaningful relationship.
In family therapy, we will explore and learn how people relate to one another, how and when a family fights, and how you do or do not communicate with one another. Family therapy works to understand how the family is functioning in relationship to one another and offers alternatives to foster better communication and relationship satisfaction. Family therapy is also about fostering individual growth within relationships.
A family therapist will help identify and will interrupt unhelpful patterns within the family dynamic. If you are finding yourself unsatisfied with the relationships in your family and you are not sure how to resolve or move forward you may benefit from connecting with a family therapist.
Family therapy can be either short or longer-term. The length of the treatment varies widely based on families reported presenting concern. Family therapy can help address a variety of concerns including but not limited to:
- Parent-child conflict
- Blended Family Conflict
- Divorce
- Co-Parenting
- Relationship Disharmony
- Boundaries
- Healthy Communication
- Eating Disorders
- Positive Coping Skills
- Chronic illness
- Severe mental illness
- Substance Misuse and Abuse
- Grandparents as Primary Caregivers
- Adoption Challenges
- Aggressive Behaviors
- Parental Conflict
- Death and Dying
- Sex and Sexuality
At South Shore Family Health Collaborative, we specialize in supporting various relationship structures—especially families—in resolving conflict and changing unhelpful relational dynamics.
