Family Counseling
Find the strength in your family while working to improve strained relationships and resolve familial issues.
Family conflict is far from unique but when you are in the middle of traumatic events and strained relationships, it can feel lonely, discouraging, and even impossible to change your circumstances. With Counselling Simply Family Therapy Toronto families can receive the professional support they need to improve relationships and work through issues of divorce, child custody, asset distribution, and other major issues affecting all members of a family.
There are a wide range of reasons why a family may seek therapy including
Family counselling may seem like a scary or unnecessary step, especially if you have never experienced therapy before. However, therapy often works to lessen fears, anxieties, and conflicts while strengthening relationships.
With family therapy, the focus is on the whole family and how each member is affected by various conflicts and events. Since therapy takes all sides into account and works to improve communication, it can make the difference between a family becoming estranged and retaining an amicable relationship even in the most difficult times.
This aspect of therapy can be particularly important in a divorce where there are children involved. Even if a divorce is finalized, therapy can foster a healthier relationship to make co-parenting less stressful for everyone.
One of the most common reasons families find themselves in therapy is that one member has a mental health condition or struggles with drug or alcohol dependency. Without therapy, issues such as this frequently devolve into arguments with the person suffering from addiction or mental health concerns feeling attacked and angry while others are frustrated.
A cornerstone of Family Therapy with Counselling Simply is finding the strengths in your relationships. Families often come to us at a low point which makes it extremely difficult to see the positives or a way out of the current situation. As a neutral third party with professional training, a family therapist is equipped to observe these strengths and help you find ways to build upon them. For example, a family member who has a substance abuse issue may seem like “the problem” but they may have a great inner strength that allows them to seek help for their addiction. Recognizing an asset like this is key to remembering an individual is more than their addiction or mental health issue.
It is just as important that individuals see their own strengths as well. Oftentimes, the person who is at the center of a conflict is experiencing internal conflict and low self-worth which can exacerbate certain issues. Counselling Simply helps family members who are suffering in this way to see the strength they already possess and how they can use it going forward.
When families enter therapy it is not uncommon for one person to be seen as “the problem” and other members will want that person to be diagnosed or fixed. However, in family therapy, the focus is on familial relationships, not diagnosing individuals. While certain mental health concerns and conditions may come to light in therapy, this is not the goal.
Instead, your interactions as a family will be observed and your therapist will help you to improve communication. For example, it is not uncommon for one person to express anger and another to shut down. In therapy, those with anger issues can learn healthier ways of expressing frustration and those who tend to withdraw can learn how to vocalize their needs and concerns.
Family Counseling sessions are conducted with two or more family members, whether parents and children, siblings, or extended family. While it is best to have all members involved in a conflict present, benefits and insights can still be found with as many persons who are willing and able to join. If a family member is unwilling to join a session, it is not advisable to force or coerce them into doing so.
In matters such as this, it can often be better for the individual to seek separate therapy. Counselling Simply also offers individual therapy and we can work with family members one-on-one when needed.
Family therapy is most often temporary and only lasts as long as it takes to resolve a particular dispute or to decide a further course of action. This can take a matter of weeks or months and is highly dependent on patient participation and desired outcomes.
Is your family suffering through trauma, divorce, or strained relationships? If so, you are not alone and you deserve the support you need to preserve your own mental health as well as that of your partner, children, and loved ones.
At Counselling Simply, we understand the complex nature of marital and familial relationships and will work with you to find the right therapy for you. Let us support you in resolving issues caused by divorce, financial concerns, drug abuse, or mental health conditions. Whatever your concerns, we are here to help guide you and your family through. Contact Counselling Simply today to book an appointment.
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