Family is more often a safety net for most people. You explore the world, keeping in mind that you can always rely on your family to have your back. You stay together, you eat together, you laugh together, and you cry together. Point being, through the thin and thick of things, you stick together.
The picture was taken from https://hr.cornell.edu/wellbeing-perks/parenting
But,
What happens when your communication breaks down, and simple arguments turn into never-ending fights?
What happens when a member of your family has a mental disorder like depression or schizophrenia? How do you cope with that?
What happens when a member of your family falls prey to addiction?
What happens when you see extreme changes in the behavior of your children?
What happens when you suddenly experience the death of a loved one? How do you cope?
If you don’t know the answers to the questions mentioned above, then, this is precisely when you should go for family therapy.
What is Family Therapy?
You see, “family therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to minimize distress and conflicts by looking at the system of interaction between family members”. More attention is given to the interaction between the members rather than a specific individual. Besides that, the therapist does not take any sides; however, works diligently to analyze the issues at hand. This is done by analyzing previous conflicts and suggesting alternative emotional and behavioral responses to these conflicts. Just like we covered in the last blog about couples therapy ( put the link), the old communication patterns are first analyzed and then replaced with more effective ones. The primary aim of this step is to make the interaction between the family members smooth. This is important because effective interactions can build trust, empathy, and mutual understanding between the family members.
The picture was taken from https://www.parentinginottawa.ca/en/shared-content/parenting-diversity-and-inclusion.aspx
When it comes to a family member experiencing something like Schizophrenia, it can be taxing on the family. Due to psychosis, the interactions between the family members and the individual suffering from schizophrenia might worsen. As a consequence, the elevated level of hostility, anger, yelling etc. within the family may also elevate the psychosis, creating more conflicts in the family. In family therapy, the members will be thoroughly educated about the mental disorder and the ways they can manage it. The individual with schizophrenia goes through individual ‘therapy’ as well as family therapy.
Similarly, in depression and addiction, the therapist explores how these particular conditions impact the interaction between the family members. For instance, when it comes to substance use, parents and young adults might get into a fugitive/detective dynamic. It is that place where young adults try to hide and lie about substance use, and parents act like detectives. The therapist explores this dynamic, provides insight on creating clarity, and focuses on building effective behaviors.
When it comes to the death of a loved one, the family can understandably be stuck in the grieving process. More importantly, the death of a loved one can impact the family dynamics by creating the need for family members to reorganize and readjust to the loss. Family therapy, in this case, can facilitate an adaptive adjustment to the loss.
Nevertheless, Family therapy is vital for the reasons mentioned above. If you relate to any of the situations mentioned above, then I would recommend you to go for family therapy almost immediately. Get on to a FREE 15-minute consultation call and talk to the best therapists about the problems that you and your family face.