You might have heard of family therapy before but have no idea what it exactly means or looks like. How many people are involved? What kinds of issues do people talk about in family therapy? In this blog, I answer your most commonly asked questions about family therapy.
By Lisa Marcelino, PhD, LMFT, CCTP
What Is Family Therapy?
Family therapy can entail having two or more members of a family participating in a therapy session. This can include any combination of family members including parents, children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, cousins, step-parents, adoptive parents, adopted children, significant others, step-children, and close family friends. There are so many different types of families and therefore every family session can look and feel a little bit different! Family therapy can be two or more people and some sessions can include eight, nine, or ten family members!
Why Would Someone See a Family Therapist in New Jersey?
A family’s dynamic can be affected by marriage, divorce, parenthood, illness, work-related stressors, and other changing circumstances. Family therapy can help with understanding and processing a changing family dynamic. In particular, a loss or addition to a family can come with issues of its own. An example of this would be when a single-parent family becomes a stepfamily. This can be difficult to navigate because a new stepfamily will have to learn how to adjust to a new living situation, new or modified routines, and taking different perspectives into account. A transition like this can be challenging and stressful, but family therapy can help make it easier to manage.
What Is Talked About in Family Therapy?
Family therapy seeks to help improve relationships between family members. It can also help to address substance use issues or behavioral issues. Family therapy can be useful in times of transition, such as after the death of a family member or when a marriage or divorce takes place. Working with a family therapist can be instrumental in helping with specific challenges that arise from transitions. Family therapy can also help family members to better understand each other, and learn how to be supportive of one another.
In family therapy, clients can learn new tools to:
- Manage emotions
- Effectively communicate
- Resolve conflicts
- And consider others’ feelings
Clients can learn things like how the delivery of a verbal message can impact how it is received. In family therapy, clients can also learn how to begin difficult conversations with another person. Furthermore, family therapy can equip clients with confidence to navigate the next phase of their lives.
Many families enter family therapy because they want to learn how to resolve conflicts in a healthy way. Very often family members find themselves struggling to get their point across or to understand the views of another family member. In addition, families often struggle with finding a fair solution to a problem that satisfies all members of the family.
This Is Where a Marriage and Family Therapist Can Help
They listen to the story from different perspectives and seek to identify the middle ground or commonalities that exist. Many familial conflicts arise from simple misunderstandings that can be better understood and dissected by a marriage and family therapist. Having a marriage and family therapist present when discussing familial conflicts can allow everyone to feel safe and heard by a neutral third party outside of the family unit.
What if we all start yelling at each other? Can the NJ family counselor handle that?
Sometimes it’s difficult for families to discuss issues without the discussion getting out of control. Often times one or more family members may have difficulty controlling their reactions to what is being said or they may lack the skills to cope with the stress. Family therapy allows a family to discuss important issues with everyone present. It allows a safe place for key issues to be addressed and it allows everyone to have a voice.
The therapist who is often a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, or LMFT serves as a mediator and does their best to remain neutral and hear all sides of the issue. The therapist seeks to allow each different view to be expressed. They ask important questions of each family member as appropriate to develop a deeper understanding of what is going on. Family members are encouraged to share their perspectives on how the issue has affected them personally.
How can family therapy with a family counselor in new jersey help?
Family therapy allows each family member to be a part of the solution. In family therapy, each person’s role in the problem is explored, as well as what they can do to make things better. While it is common for families to place blame on one person for many of the issues going on, a family therapist’s role is to see how each person in the family may be contributing to the current situation, and remove the “scapegoat” from the equation.
Family therapy aims to allow everyone in the family to have a voice. It allows difficult discussions to happen in a safe, neutral space. Family therapy can help family members to learn new ways of communicating and coping. Family therapy can help to teach family members new skills that can be used when conflict arises. Finally, family therapy can allow for existing relationships to deepen, and it can open the door for new relationships to develop.
Find a Family Therapist Near Metuchen, NJ or Online
Starting family therapy with a qualified family counseling is easy. Follow these steps to get started:
- Read our FAQs about therapy.
- Fill out a request form on our contact page to schedule a therapy appointment.
- One of our compassionate team members will contact you within 1 business day (excluding holidays) for a phone consultation. The initial phone consultation is complimentary and helps us learn more about how we can help.
- During the initial phone consultation, our compassionate team member will ask about what you’ve been struggling with, or what you hope to achieve in therapy. We will share information about each of our therapists, including their specialties and availability.
- If we’re a good fit for your needs, we match you with one of our in person or online New Jersey therapists. If either of us feel we are not the right fit, we can provide the names of other providers who may be able to help.
Family Counseling in New Jersey
We are New Jersey therapists who work with couples, children, teens, families, and individuals. We help you improve the relationship with yourself and others so that everyone can feel understood and appreciated. You want a more fulfilling life with healthy relationships, and therapy can help.
We help families, couples, children, and adults seeking therapy in New Jersey. In person counseling for Edison, Metuchen, Woodbridge, and surrounding areas is available for those who prefer face-to-face counseling in New Jersey.
We also serve the entire state via online therapy in New Jersey.
