When considering family therapy, it is important to remember that families work as a system.
Sometimes the most effective way to make shifts toward more harmony is to include the whole family.
Working with the whole family allows our therapists to see and work first hand with the dynamics at play that may be causing you to look for family counseling at this time. Sometimes, being a part of the system, it is hard to see the factors that are contributing to the way your family is interacting now.
Having your family in the room will also allow your therapist to provide tools to everyone at once and facilitate practicing these tools together.
That way, you are able to have a common language and can implement the skills you learn at home, outside the session.
Our therapists are trained in Family Systems Theory and the modality of Art Therapy, which gives them the ability to work with all the members of your family in a way that is accessible to you and your children or adolescent through age appropriate art and play activities. These skill building activities allow you and your children or adolescent to learn important emotional regulation tools that will support a shift toward increased health in your family dynamics.
Family therapy always begins with the assessment process.
This may include meeting with different people in your family as well as your family all together so your therapist can create a plan for moving forward toward your goals. Your therapist will lead you through this assessment process and the goal formulating process.
It is also important to remember that what works for one family might not work for another. It is a process of trial and error. Your therapist knows how to tailor strategies and interventions toward your family's strengths, so it is important that you provide feedback to your therapist regularly.