The reason for Christian family counseling can be summed up by this quote from Virginia Satir, “Why family therapy . . . because it deals with family pain.”

The foundational relationship for every human is their family. We all come from two other humans, and are related to many others that have come before us. Family, no matter how you define it, is a cornerstone of all life. Each person carries a unique history, perception, and level of health that impacts all of their relationships.

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Whether it’s the relationship between caregivers/parents themselves, or with their children, and between siblings—each dynamic will impact the whole system. When one or many of the relationships or individuals are unhealed, unhealthy, or are suffering, the whole family is affected.

While individual counseling can be beneficial for the whole family as one member heals and grows, family counseling involving all or some of the members can be particularly important and beneficial. But what does family counseling mean, what does it typically cover and look like at McKinney Christian Counseling? Read on to discover if family counseling is a good fit for your family.

What is Family Counseling?

At McKinney Christian Counseling, family counseling is group therapy made up of family members that is centered on family systems interventions. A central component is the belief that as one family member grows and heals, it impacts the relationships and health of the entire family unit. “Family therapy is a type of psychological counseling (psychotherapy) that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts” (Mayo Clinic, 2021). Family therapy involves at least two family members and treatment is typically short term and centered on specific goals.

In general, these treatment goals typically include communication, conflict management or resolution, or coping with a loss, a single member’s mental health or addiction that is affecting the whole family. Family therapy is typically conducted by a licensed psychologist, social worker, or therapist who may be certified through the Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Furthermore, family therapy often coincides with one or more family members participation in individual counseling—especially if the main concern involves addiction, depression, anxiety, or other mental health diagnoses such as personality or mood disorders.

Similarly, family therapy is often done when there have been changes in the family unit such as blended families, adoption, divorce, death of a family member, or other family changes like moving, job loss, or natural disasters and traumatic events. Regardless of the specific circumstances, all family counseling is centered on improving the interpersonal relationships of the family.

Family counseling is important for many reasons. Primarily, the family is one of the most influential relationships and the health and dynamics impact all areas of life for each member. Family is where we learn how to communicate, how to relate to other people, how we can expect to be treated, and where our sense of self begins to develop. Whether a home environment is stable, safe, and nurturing has tremendous impacts on the individual holistic health of each person who lives there.

For instance, if the home is unsafe due to a member’s mental health, addiction, or abuse, it will impact the other members’ mental health and may correlate with the development of anxiety, depression, or trauma-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Inversely, as that family member heals and changes, the other members may also begin to experience a shift towards healing because the home life is safe and more stable.

Family therapy is important for interpersonal relationships and for healing from hurt, abuse, and patterns of miscommunication. It can also help when a child has behavioral disorders or emotional issues (Ackerman, 2022) that are impactive the family. Overall, family therapy can be immensely supportive for individuals within a family unit.

The family counseling intervention is centered on family systems theory which focuses both on individual members as well as the relational dynamics between each person. Family counseling at McKinney Christian Counseling begins much like individual therapy with identifying treatment goals and areas to grow such as communication, boundaries, processing traumatic events or losses, and healing from the impact of addiction or abuse.

Once these goals are identified, “Family therapy can employ techniques and exercises from cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, or other types of individual therapy. Like with other types of treatment, the techniques employed will depend on the specific problems the client or clients present with” (Ackerman, 2022). Whatever intervention style is chosen will be focused on relational and individual healing and growth.

There are five common types of family counseling frameworks:

Structural Therapy – This framework is centered on addressing the power dynamics and roles of the members within the family and how these can be changed to be more equal within social situations.

Strategic Therapy – In this intervention “the therapist takes the position of power…, which allows other family members who may not usually hold as much power to communicate more effectively” (Ackerman, 2022). This is typically the most direct and brief structure that focuses on specific dynamics and includes out of session homework for the participants.

Systemic Therapy – This methodology is based on identifying the meaning behind the unconscious communication and interpersonal relationships. The therapist is a guide who helps the members recognize and articulate these dynamics.

Transgenerational Therapy – This form is focused on multiple generational dynamics and relationships and can be very helpful when there are many generations living together. Treatment is centered on identifying and addressing intergenerational miscommunication, assumptions, and relational dynamics.

Bowenian– “This form of family therapy is best suited for situations in which individuals cannot or do not want to involve other family members in the treatment. [It] is built on two core concepts: triangulation (the natural tendency to vent or distress by talking to a third party) and differentiation (learning to become less emotionally reactive in family relationships)” (Ackerman, 2022)

There are many benefits from family counseling in McKinney, Texas. Since the goal is to address relational dynamics, benefits of this intervention typically include communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, and more equal power dynamics across members.

Other benefits of family counseling may consist of decrease in symptoms or intensity of individual mental health issues and disorders like depression and anxiety. More benefits like increased confidence and satisfaction in relationships can be experienced as the family dynamics become healthier.

Family counseling in McKinney, Texas covers a variety of topics depending on the goals and needs of the family. As stated, family therapy is centered on interpersonal relationships between the members, and so topics such as active listening, conflict management, boundary setting, coping skills, role definition within the family unit, addressing dysfunctional dynamics, and problem solving may be goals of intervention (Morales-Brown, 2022).

Furthermore, family counseling may also involve grief counseling or bereavement support if there has been a loss of a family member. Likewise, family counseling may also cover children’s issues such as behavior conduct disorders, sibling conflict, or parenting issues. Family counseling topics are centered on the interpersonal dynamics that impact individual and relational health.

Next Steps

If family counseling seems like it may be beneficial for your family, there are several steps you can take.

  1. Talk with your family members – Family counseling is most beneficial when the members are willing participants who want to grow together. Again, this does not have to be every member, but having open communication about the reasons to go and the goals is helpful.
  2. Find a family counselor – Most therapists and counselors will list family counseling as a specialty if they are certified as Marriage and Family Counselors. Browse our online counselor directory to find the best family therapist for your needs.
  3. Individual counseling – Individual counseling can be beneficial in conjunction with family counseling to help you individually work through your own history, mental health, and goals.

References

Ackerman, C. (2022, May 2). What is Family Therapy? 6 Techniques & Interventions. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from Positive Psychology: https://positivepsychology.com/family-therapy/

Mayo Clinic. (2021, June 19). Family Therapy. Retrieved May 4, 2022, from Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/family-therapy/about/pac-20385237

Morales-Brown, L. (2022, April 27). What are the Benefits of Family Counseling? . Retrieved from Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/family-counseling#benefits

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Please contact our reception team at
(469) 943-2452

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