You’re not alone if you’re worried about your first family therapy session and don’t know what to expect. In this article, we’ll discuss what family therapy is, what you can do to prepare for it, and some helpful tips to remember.
What is Family Therapy?
Every family endures hardship and controversy at some point. However, not every family utilizes therapy or counseling. A therapist will help facilitate conversations between your family members depending on the topic of concern to encourage better communication and foster an environment to discuss difficult things openly. Family therapy is used for all sorts of topics. Here are just a few of the topics that family therapy can help with:
- Trauma
- Mental health/illness
- Communication barriers
- Behavioral concerns
- Substance abuse
- Financial issues
- Death in the family
- Divorce
Additionally, there are many types of family therapy. It would be helpful to search online for the exact kind that the therapist will be using. For example, psychoeducation focuses on educating the family about a mental illness your family member has. Through education, you can better understand how to interact with and care for that person.
How do you prepare for a family therapy session?
One of the best things you can do prior to a session is to identify the primary issue, what your triggers are, and any boundaries you’d like to have set in place. What is the reason for therapy? If it’s a communication breakdown between all of you, then it would be best to write down some questions for the therapist and specific points you would like to address. It’s helpful to write down any questions you have regardless.
Maybe family therapy is being utilized as more of an intervention for a particular family member’s mental health or substance abuse. In this case, you could take some time to think about everything that has happened and how that person has made you feel. Contemplating it ahead of time will hopefully help you stay calm and level-headed during the session since it will likely bring up hard topics among your family.
As with all types of therapy, things may not drastically improve after just one or two sessions. It can be difficult to talk about your emotions and spend a significant amount of time diving deep into your feelings.
Here are a few helpful tips to keep in mind:
- Be patient. You might discuss things in your sessions that have been issues for years. These things aren’t going to be solved overnight, and it’s going to take hard work from you and your family.
- It’s a safe place. The more open and vulnerable you are, the better it will be for your family to heal. Even if your family is doing therapy to address one person’s substance abuse, mental illness, or anything else, no doubt it’s affecting you deeply. You deserve a say in the conversation and the therapist will make it a safe, healthy place to do so.
- Be respectful. You can speak your mind in a gracious, kind way. You don’t want to say something you’ll regret just because you’re emotional or passionate.
Restore 360 offers family therapy services in Haverford and nearby areas. Our therapists are well-equipped to assist families with the necessary support and assistance. You can schedule your free consultation with us online or contact us at (484) 373-2710 to learn more about our services in Philadelphia and surrounding areas.
