Family Counseling

Family Counseling is based on the belief that the family is a unique social system with its own structure and patterns of communication. These patterns are determined by many factors, including the parents’ beliefs and values, the personalities of family members, and the influence of the extended family (grandparents, aunts, and uncles). As a result of these variables, each family develops its own unique dynamic, which affects all of its members. The primary goal of family therapy is to help family members find healthy ways to improve communication and resolve conflicts. For best results, all family members need to work together with the therapist toward common goals.

Family Counseling can

• Teach family members about how families function in general.
• Help the family focus less on the member identified as needing support and focus more on the family as a whole.
• Assist in identifying conflicts and anxieties and help the family develop strategies to resolve them.
• Strengthen all family members so they can work on their challenges together.
• Teach new ways to handle conflicts and changes within the family.

Family Counseling may be the primary focus of treatment, or it could be used as a supplement to individual counseling.