Giving Your Family the Skills to Grow Together
A family may be parents and children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, adoptive or foster families, or just the family you choose. Whatever your family is like, when this support system breaks down, it can lead to difficulties with just about every aspect of your daily life. When your family unit is divided, no longer communicating well, dealing with a loss, or addressing any number of struggles, a skilled family therapist can help. At Stokes counseling Services, we’re happy to provide traditional therapy services for Naugatuck families in our office as well as the unique FAM (Families Are Made) Program, which takes place in the home.
What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a process through which family members partner with a counselor to improve interaction and communication and reduce distress and conflict. A family is a system. When each member of family performs his or her role as expected, things run smoothly. What happens when the expectations we have for our family members are unrealistic, or one or more family members struggle with cognitive or behavioral issues? The system stops working. In order to repair the family unit, you may want to engage in family therapy. This may include any number of techniques and methods to address parent-child bonding, marital or partnership conflicts, abuse, trauma, loss, and any number of other difficulties within the family system.
Why Should My Family Consider Family Therapy?
As is the case with individual therapy, your family may want to work with a counselor for a number of reasons. From a breakdown in communication to a rift in the family due to divorce, a family therapist can help you reestablish a successful and thriving family system. Some of the many reasons families choose to work with us include:
- One or more family members is struggling with performing to their typical capacity
- One or more family members seem to display extreme emotional responses
- One or more family members are failing or struggling to communicate effectively
- One or more family members have withdrawn from the family system
- One or more family members are experiencing violence within the family system or from an outside perpetrator
- One or more family members are struggling at work, school, or other activities outside the family unit and they may need additional support
- Family members are experiencing difficulty coping with loss, grief, abuse, or other traumas
- One or more family members have problems with substance abuse, disordered eating, gambling, or other struggles that may impact the whole family
- Family members are having difficulty working through a divorce, remarriage, or other change to the makeup of the family system
What Family Therapy Services are Available?
Family therapy may include a combination of individual and group therapy sessions. As is the case with individual therapy, the first family therapy session will be about creating a partnership and getting to know your counselor. That may include many steps, such as assessment and goal planning. After this intake session, we may want to schedule individual or pairs counseling sessions to address some of the most significant areas for concern. While it’s referred to as family therapy, this doesn’t necessarily mean that every family member will be at every session. We’ll work flexibly with the members of your family to ensure they receive the time and attention they need to begin to contribute to a thriving family system. Some of the specific concerns that may be addressed as part of family therapy include:
Parent-Child Relational Problems
Whether we’re discussing a lack of initial bonding or a breakdown in the relationship between one or more parent and child, working through the problems that lead to relational rifts is important to repairing the family dynamic. Throughout the course of family therapy, we can help parents and children communicate more effectively, develop the tools to work together, and hopefully, create fulfilling relationships that will last throughout your lives.
Parenting Issues
Sometimes, children’s behavioral issues are a symptom of a greater underlying concern that needs to be addressed. As part of the process of improving the family system, we will work with parents to develop the skills to help their children grow into healthy productive members of their families and communities.
Working Through Divorce
Divorce is difficult for parents and children alike, but this a familial wound that can be healed. Working with a family therapist, you can begin to create new, thriving family systems after divorce or separation.
FAM Program
One of the most unique therapy options available from our team is the FAM Program. This is an in-home therapy options where one of our skilled counselors will visit you in and help rebuild or improve your family system. The FAM Program is currently accepting referrals in the Greater Waterbury area, Greater Naugatuck Valley, Greater New Haven area, and Torrington/Winsted areas. Don’t see your location? Give us a call at 203-729-0341!
How do I Get Started?
To get started, simply give the Stokes Counseling Services team a call or complete our request form. We’ll be happy to answer any questions you have and schedule a first session for you in our Naugatuck office. We are also proud to offer telehealth counseling services online, if you would prefer to conduct your sessions virtually.
