In every family like yours, there is a set of people with whom you are related as a son, daughter, sister, father, or mother. Your personality, belief, or any event from your personal life might clash with any other member or vice versa. This clash might end up in disagreement, miscommunication, or long fights creating a gap. If you’ve pondered the possibility of bridging these gaps, you’re in good company. This blog will thoroughly explore the realm of family counseling, bringing to light the advantages of seeking online counseling.
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What Is Family Counseling? 
Family therapy, also known as family counseling is a form of psychotherapy that emphasizes improving the functioning and communication within a family. It includes the involvement of family members in collaborative sessions led by a trained therapist. The central objective of family counseling is to assist families in comprehending and resolving conflicts, improving communication, and fortifying their overall relationships.
When To Seek Family Therapy?
Every family goes through a crack sometime or the other and some say it’s already “broken” from the start or gets broken by the time. Many factors contribute to the problems therefore some of the reasons for you to consider are:
- Miscommunication:
Prolonged difficulties in communicating with your family members such as conflicts over small causes which lead to bigger issues, avoidance of important discussions, or invalidating each other’s emotions might lead to a communication barrier. - Major life Transitions:
Events like the loss of a family member, divorce, birth of a child, poverty due to unemployment, or failing marriage can lead to negative relationships with your family members causing stress, anxiety, ignorance, and even isolation. These events might disrupt the family dynamics. - Chronic illness or Mental health issues:
Undiagnosed mental or chronic illness should be looked into immediately. They require more support and understanding. Both diseases go hand in hand and might be co-related and the required treatment should be given priority. - Addiction Issues:
When a family member is struggling with addiction, it can to alcoholism, gambling, or substance abuse, which negatively impacts the entire family. It might be one of the reasons for any family member’s depression, anxiety, or any other severe mental illness. Family therapy can be part of the comprehensive treatment plan to address the impact on the entire family. - Parent-Child Relationship Issues:
Many factors might contribute to the strained relationship between a parent and their child. Some of them may be displaying problematic behaviours at home, school, or in social settings, discipline issues, power struggles, or generational conflicts.
If you or anyone you know is going through any of the above situations, it may be worthwhile to explore family therapy as a means of addressing and resolving the challenges.
How Can Family Therapy Help?
Each and every form of treatment emphasizes communication and patience to be an integral part of a healthy family. Family therapy can be helpful and beneficial in many ways which address problems that range a lot of variety. Minor problems are given the same importance as the major ones. Here are some ways in which family therapy can help you:
- Family therapy is a safe place for the family members to express their individual thoughts and emotions without being ignored, cut off, and not validated. Communication is the healthiest and the first step towards a better family life. It helps to identify and resolve conflicts structurally by promoting healthier relationships.
- Therapists assist families in recognizing and modifying dysfunctional behaviors through their analysis and then these negative patterns are identified and addressed through different approaches. Families can create healthier dynamics and establish more positive habits through this.
- Different families go through major life changes and transitions such as divorce, the death of a family member, the birth of a child, or poverty due to unemployment. Family therapy helps families navigate through these shifts in their lives.
- Through therapy, families learn problem-solving techniques and ways to address their shortcomings more effectively. This skill-building aspect empowers family members to find solutions together to face the issues that arise.
- Therapists help families explore and understand their unique dynamics. This insight allows family members to learn and acknowledge how their roles and interactions impact the whole family.
- By addressing underlying issues and improving family dynamics, therapy can help prevent the recurrence of problems and build resilience within the family.
Approaches and Techniques Used During Family Counseling
Family therapy uses different approaches and techniques for their respective cases. Different families go through different events and face different problems and we see how each technique is designed to concern specific issues within the family system. The choice of approach depends on the therapist’s analysis of the family, their perspective on the family members and relations, and their goals of therapy. Here are some common techniques and approaches used in family therapy:
- Structural Therapy:
Family interaction is an essential concern under this technique as it helps to identify the power dynamics, hierarchies, and boundaries. The therapist analyses the family interactions closely. Interventions may include reversing or introducing new roles and restructuring relationships to promote healthier communication and functioning. - Cognitive-behavioural Techniques:
Cognitive-behavioural techniques strategize to address specific behavioural problems within the family. This technique includes identifying and challenging dysfunctional and negative thought patterns and implementing behaviour modification techniques. - Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT):
EFT focuses on identifying, expressing, and communicating emotions within family interactions. The therapist uses techniques like recognizing and validating emotions, teaching to talk bottled in emotions, and advancing emotional responses. - Strategic Therapy:
Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes introduced this strategy to focus on creating specific interventions to address, observe, and resolve the unaddressed issues within the family and it revolves around the belief that the family significantly shapes children’s lives. It aims to recognize and modify the structural interaction patterns within the family environment. By tackling behaviours and interactions linked to problematic issues, this approach enhances family functioning, enabling children to navigate and overcome their challenges more effectively.
The family therapy techniques emphasize the betterment of emotional awareness, facilitating significant family transitions, fostering acceptance of uncontrollable circumstances, and improving communication and teamwork among family members.
What is Online Family Counseling? How is it Beneficial for you?
Online family counseling opens up the path of connection and convenience for you. In the world of new digital inventions, families are discovering new destinations for emotional support and growth. Online family therapy, conducted through virtual platforms, brings the expertise of trained therapists directly to the heart of your home.
The best benefits for you to seek online counseling are:
- Convenience and Accessibility:
Online family counseling comes with the convenience of receiving therapy from the comfort of any place and time of your choice. This reduces the worry of travel, making it easier for families with tight schedules or those in rural or semi-rural locations. - Cost Effective:
This type of counseling has proved to be cost-effective as it reduces the expense of traveling and the families have found that it is more budget-friendly while still providing valuable therapeutic support. - Crossing Geographical Constraints:
Even when geographical distances separate families, they can still derive advantages from online counseling. This flexibility empowers family members to engage in therapy, irrespective of their location. - Increased Comfort and Privacy:
Participating in online sessions within a familiar environment can boost the comfort level of family members. There might be family members who might be reserved and shy, and who would like to participate from behind a screen online counseling provides a level of privacy that fosters open communication and facilitates discussions on sensitive topics. - Ample choice of therapists:
There are many online platforms that link families with a varied spectrum of therapists with their educational details, licensing, certificates, and honest reviews from past patients. This helps families the chance to discover a therapist whose expertise aligns seamlessly with their distinct needs.
What Are Some Best Online Platforms For Family Therapy?
There are numerous platforms in the ocean of the internet that provide for the rising demand for online family therapy. Below is a list of some of the best online platforms in Canada for family counseling:
- TherapyMantra
A remarkable platform that offers online counseling services including family counseling. This platform connects users with licensed therapists and offers a range of communication methods, from messaging to live video sessions. - MantraCare
A leading platform known for providing therapy services to individuals, couples, and families. They boast a team of licensed therapists and offer various communication options, including video and audio sessions. - Talkspace
Another leading international platform, Talkspace addresses various concerns. It provides users with video sessions, voice messages, and unlimited messaging options, connecting them with experienced professionals. - Regain
Specializing in relationship counseling, Regain is well-suited for addressing family issues, particularly those involving couples. This platform facilitates private sessions with qualified counselors and therapists. - BetterHelp
A globally recognized platform renowned for its provision of therapy services catering to individuals, couples, and families. They have a team of licensed therapists and offer multiple communication options, including video and audio sessions.
Conclusion
At the end of any day, it is our family who keeps us at our best and every crisis can be solved if you work together through the process of online family counseling. Counseling assists individuals with the support and guidance needed to go through the challenges. With the added convenience and advantages of online counseling, seeking professional guidance from the comfort of your home has never been more accessible. If you are looking for, Online Family Counseling TherapyMantra can help: Book a trial Online therapy session.
