What is Family Therapy and Who Can Benefit from it?

What is family therapy?

Family therapy is a joint process between a therapist and members of a family. Common goals of family therapy include improving communication, becoming better educated on developmental norms of children, helping the family to navigate approaching a “difficult” child and processing through shared stressors. 

Who should consider family therapy?

Family therapy can help families better understand and approach behavioral concerns in children and adolescents. Family therapy is also useful when multiple generations are living in a home and experiencing ongoing conflict. If your family has experienced collective stress such as divorce, abuse, natural disasters, loss of loved ones, merging of families, etc., family therapy can help process through these experiences and bring resolution and deeper connections within your family.

What does family therapy look like?

Family therapy can differ throughout sessions. Some sessions may have all members of the family present while others could have what we call family subunits, which could be just parents, just children, certain children and one parent, or any other combination you can think of. Therapy with subunits can provide education on communication, development, boundaries and parenting strategies, or to prepare different family members to bring up difficult topics to the whole family unit. Family therapy will revolve around your family’s personal goals and needs. You may acheive these goals through role playing, discussing, reenacting, exploring family petterns, learning healthy coping skills together and more.

How long does therapy last?

Therapy can differ in its duration. While some types of therapy, such as solution-focused therapy, can end within a period of a couple months, other types of therapy, such as psychodynamic, can last for many years. What is most important to remember is that you are in charge of your care. Whether you need some short-term help, or you have ongoing mental health concerns, our therapists are here to support you. However, different types of insurance may also play a role in how many sessions of therapy you can have per year, so be sure to check in with your insurance provider.

How do I get started with a therapist?

Getting started can be the most difficult step of therapy. You’ve made the decision that you need help, now what? You can call or stop by our offices to schedule an intake. While this requires answering a lot of questions, it’s to help us better get to know what type of therapy would be best for you.

How much does therapy cost?

The cost of therapy varies. While some insurances will pay for unlimited sessions throughout the year, others are capped off at a certain number. Some insurances require a copay while others will fully cover the cost of sessions. If you have questions about the cost, give our office a call and we can coach you along the way.