If you are part of a family, which most of us are, we have to realize that patterns of behaviour running in the family influences each of its members. Family therapy is a branch of psychotherapy that serves to address the behaviour of every member of the family and how this can influence the behaviour of the family as a whole.
The word “family” means people that are related by blood, marriage, or adoption. The definition encompasses close relationships that you share through DNA or via a legal connection.
Being one of the most significant and strongest relationships that we experience, members of a family can experience numerous challenges and problems that may affect the dynamics that exist among the members. Any conflict in a family, whether it is anger, stress, or grief, can be painful.
However, family therapy can make a difference by helping the members, including the children, couple, and other members of the extended family communicate in a better manner and work to reduce the conflicts.
What is Family Therapy
Family therapy is a tool that involves therapeutic sessions with the family members and a clinical psychologist who is neutral to the family dynamics. The psychologist and the entire family unit members interact in a controlled environment.
This is a helpful tool that strengthens bonds between the members and also serves to overcome family issues during the therapy. The family members develop new and healthy skill sets that promote healthy family bonding.
The family therapy treatment is offered with the belief that strong relationships work to strengthen the overall mental health of every member of the family. The psychologist works to harness the resources of the family and get the family members to collaborate and solve their problems together.
In the family therapy sessions, the psychologist focuses on understanding every single member’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviours about every other member and the family unit. Every family member is taught problem-solving skills that will ultimately cause less distress.
Issues that We Solve With Family Therapy
Help teenagers who struggle with eating disorders
Children who indulge in substance abuse and have mental health issues
Members of the family who are traumatised because of the death of a loved one/who has fallen victim to a natural disaster/has fallen victim to a crime
Parents currently in a divorce process or who are already divorced
Misbehaviour of one or more children
Any family member who has experienced sexual or emotional abuse
Infertility issues of couples within the family
Adoption issues
Problems of school-going children
Co-parenting when parents are divorced
Difficulty in adjusting to new life stages
Parent-child relationship (any stage)
Chronic illness of family members
Issues among siblings
Marital distress/conflict
Dealing with loss
For any family that mind benefit from a family therapy, it is critical to meet a family therapist without any delay. Psychotherapy treatment centres offer comprehensive treatment methods that will help the individual members of the family.
Goals for Family Therapy
In case your family is dealing with tough times, family therapy can be used as a tool to deal with internal issues. What are the goals of family therapy?
• Set clear boundaries
• Establish healthy methods of communication
• Teach every family member to be transparent
• Address familial or relationship problems and overcome them
• Teach how to share emotions among the family members
• Educate each family member about the family dynamics
• Promote understanding among the members to stimulate healing
Family Therapy – Softmind’s Approach
Our family therapists in the family counselling centers in Calicut are highly qualified, well-trained and have vast experience in the field. We offer different family therapy approaches such as Systemic Family, Structural Family Therapy, and Psychoeducation, among others for the best outcomes.
At Softmind, we offer a safe place wherein every member of the family can freely talk and explore one another’s feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. Your therapist will handhold you and make you understand the other family members’ opinions and perspectives so that you clearly understand the family dynamics.
Children stepping into Softmind for family therapy are provided with a safe, child-friendly, and secure environment. Our therapists know how to use art and play to read and understand the children’s thoughts and feelings.
All the family members’ opinions and perspectives together make up the family dynamics. Our therapists will help you focus on the most significant issues that are present. This may require that the therapist meets different family members at different times.
Whether it is family counselling in Cochin or family counselling in Kannur, family therapists at Softmind strive to support bonds that exist between couples and determine how individual members of the families can make a significant difference when relationship issues crop up. They work towards the overall and long-term well-being of the individual members of the family and the unit as a whole.
Family therapy helps every family member to build healthier coping skills and productive communication skills so the family members can identify problematic patterns and pre-empt them from becoming unresolvable. Research studies have demonstrated time and again the effectiveness of family therapy in reducing the weight of many emotional, psychological, and health problems from weighing the family down.