It is through our family that we first develop how we view our self, others and the world. As children look to their parents they learn what it means to be a woman, a man, a mother, a father, etc. The family is the primary influence and system through which all else develops. The relationships that are established within a family are a vital determinate of psychological health.
Family’s today are faced with a number of stressors including divorce and remarriage, depression, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and simply balancing the stress of life with the time that a family needs to connect. Family counseling is designed to assist family’s in identifying the sources of conflict and learning healthy ways to solve problems and communicate.
The first session of family therapy will likely only be with one or two members of the family. This session will help the therapist obtain background information and establishing goals for counseling. As the counseling process progresses, the therapist may request to meet with other members of the family. This is not always necessary, and the therapist may only need to meet with one or two members of the family in order to help improve the family dynamics. The average length of family therapy varies anywhere from five to twenty sessions. It should also be noted that our office does not have the capacity to meet with all members of larger families simultaneously.