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Family TherapyTherapy for the Entire Family
The clinicians at 3-C Family Services believe that individuals do not live in a vacuum and that the family within which they live can help to support change by also making changes. Therapists can work with parents on parenting issues, such as creating closer emotional relationships with children and establishing effective limits for children. Parents can work with their therapist to figure out how to establish realistic and appropriate expectations, and support parents as they teach children how to meet such expectations. Families can learn how to effectively communicate feelings using active listening and "I messages", which provides opportunities for self-expression and helps the family work together to find alternatives.
Often times parents find the task of balancing the roles of disciplinarian and nurturer to be a difficult one. Your therapist can support your family by helping to define roles in the family system while teaching families how to deal with the changes that occur in roles as family members progress through developmental stages. Many families struggle with relationship problems, both within and outside of the family system. Sibling rivalry, while common, can be a debilitating problem and create unhealthy alliances among family members. As children grow, they experience new relationships outside of the family such as with peers, teachers, and intimate relationships. Negotiating appropriate expectations around these relationships and helping children learn what to expect and what interaction style fits with their personality as well as family expectations can sometimes prove to be a source of contention among families.
Family therapy can also help families as they deal with situational concerns, such as divorce, remarriage, stepfamilies, abuse/violence, moving, and other life transitions. A family therapist can help families work together in dealing with mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, conduct disorder, ADHD, and Autism.
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