Healing Through Forgiveness

Healing Through Forgiveness

3 Facts For First-Time Family Therapy Clients

by Kurt Garrett

Family therapy clinics allow couples and families to access family counseling services. Family counseling can mediate conflicts between family members in addition to helping families develop better styles of communication to reduce conflict in the future. Family therapy is an ongoing process, but it starts with a single step. Here are three things that first-time family therapy clients should know:

1. Family therapy sessions are often longer than individual therapy sessions.

Many people are already familiar with the practices of individual therapy before they seek family therapy, which means that some of the differences between the two therapy modalities may be surprising. For instance, most individual therapy sessions last 30 to 45 minutes. By contrast, family therapy sessions may be 50 minutes to an hour long. Family therapy sessions are longer in order to give every family member the opportunity to say their piece. When scheduling family therapy sessions, make sure you budget enough time to account for this difference in length.

2. Family therapy is hard work.

Some people have mistaken assumptions about therapy. They may believe that therapy only exists to make people feel good or to provide an echo chamber for their beliefs. In reality, any kind of therapy is a participatory process that requires hard work on the client's part. This is true of family therapy, as well. When you sign up for family therapy, you must make a commitment to be open and honest, even when it's difficult. By committing to seeing the process through, you will give yourself and your family the greatest chance to work through your issues and become a stronger unit than before. Your therapist will provide encouragement along the way, pointing out your progress to keep your spirits high.

3. Family therapy allows clients to explore family roles and dynamics.

People's ideas about family typically come from the culture they were raised in. People's own families of origin can affect their views on family, as can the ideas they are exposed to. Sometimes, multiple people in a family are not on the same page regarding the role of each family member. This can lead to frustration and conflict as people act on unconfirmed assumptions. Family therapists will encourage people to express their views about parents' and children's roles in the family unit, which may include discussion of gender roles. These conversations can get assumptions out into the open so compromises can be reached.

For more information, contact a family therapy clinic.


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About Me

Healing Through Forgiveness

A few years ago, I had a terrible disagreement with my mother-in-law. For several months, I didn’t speak to my husband’s mom. The bitterness I felt toward this woman was overwhelming. Thankfully, I decided to forgive her for the things she said and did to me. After I made this choice, I felt relieved and happier. Are you struggling to forgive someone? Consider making an appointment with a reputable counselor near you. This professional can help you sort through your feelings of resentment towards the other person. On this blog, I hope you will discover the numerous emotional issues counselors help clients successfully deal with.

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