What are the Top Signs Therapy Could Help Your Family?

Kevin Kenealy
Jul 8
4 min read

Families use family therapy to identify and address mental, emotional, and behavioral problems that affect the family.

In general, when we refer to family in the context of family therapy, we encompass all types of relationships. It can describe a nuclear family, including grandparents and other extended family members, or a more specific relationship, such as that between a mother and daughter.

With the help of a family therapist, you can understand how dynamic family, including patterns of communication and default roles, affects the overall health of your family.

Family therapy is also a valuable resource for families that need to deal with the health challenges of individual family members, such as depression and eating disorders.

Key Indicators That Therapy Could Benefit Your Family

If you and your family have difficulty communicating, resolving conflict, and doing so with respect, you might need some outside support. Family dynamics are unique, but here are some common reasons families choose to enter family therapy.

Difficulty talking, expressing feelings, or having an open chat.
Frequent arguing or fighting with partners, parents, or children or between siblings
Families are feeling alone, unheard, or emotionally disconnected.
Differences in parenting
Behavior problems or school problems in children/adolescents
Erratic parenting
Going through a significant upheaval in life, ex. Divorce, mourning, chronic illness, and financial stress
How to handle a family member who is struggling with mental health-related issues, such as depression or substance use
Awareness of culture, particularly in step/ blended families, · Cultural sensitivity – particularly in step and or blended families or in those with LGBTQ+ community members.

Quality help, fast when you need it

Advantages of Family Therapy

The objective of family treatment is to change the way the family functions and interacts. In supporting families to communicate their feelings and tackle their issues, family therapy can also offer the following:

Improved family connection: Family treatment can help families develop closer, more genuine relationships. Through a process of openness, honesty, and empathy, individuals can learn how to forge healthier, more sustainable connections.
Better communication skills: Effective communication is another key advantage of family therapy. Therapists teach individuals how to express themselves clearly and respectfully, allowing their needs to be met through role-playing situations and the development of practical communication skills. It also includes active listening, which is the act of listening without judgment or interruption, as well as nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.
Improved coping skills: If your family has gone through a traumatic event, such as infidelity or a death in the family, then family therapy can help you learn how to cope with coping skills, cope with emotional distress, and adapt to your new reality.

Chance for a healthier life: Good family relationships can go a long way toward promoting your health and well-being, so choose a family that you can feel good about. Family therapy can help the entire family participate in breaking negative cycles, kicking unhealthy habits, and building a more positive future.

What happens in family therapy

In family therapy, your loved ones will be together in a nurturing and secure environment where we can help restore and support your family in growing to its full potential.

During the first visit, your family will discuss their concerns, issues, and the therapy goals you would like to work on. Here, your therapist can establish a sense of trust and rapport, providing an opportunity for every family member to express what’s bothering them.

Your therapist will help guide the discussions, draw out needs at both the personal and systemic levels, and provide strategies to help manage conflict for better communication and connection.

All family members need to participate in the sessions, actively engage in the activities and discussions, and be open to positive change for optimal results. Your therapist will also remind you and your partner to value and be compassionate towards each other and to avoid criticism and judgment during this time.

Family therapy methods

There are many therapy models available to family therapists, tailored to the individual needs and preferences of each family. Here are some examples:

Bowen family therapy enables individuals to recognize their intergenerational patterns and dynamics and work with them.
Structural family therapy: Therapists who employ this approach help families communicate more effectively and establish healthy boundaries.
Functional family therapy: This treatment is helpful for families whose children have been troubled by emotional or behavioral issues.
Brief solution-focused therapy: An approach that concentrates on solutions rather than problems.

When is family therapy contraindicated?

Although it may help many families improve their communication and create healthier family environments, there are times when this approach may not be especially suitable. Family Therapy is generally contraindicated when:

Family members are reluctant to attend therapy.

Family members have untreated mental illness and need (different) help.
There are continuing issues of safety, like physical or sexual abuse in the family. (If that’s true, they are uncomfortable sharing that, and neither are family members. (Or talking in therapy might just be even riskier.)

Get care with Healthy Families Albuquerque.

If you’re having difficulty with family — whether one person or all of them — seek professional help, it is the role of family therapists to help families in times of difficulty to enable them to move toward a more promising future.

We want to ensure that you can easily access the care and support you deserve, and we are here for our members.