The Many Benefits Of Undergoing Family Therapy

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Therapy—although when heard still has some stigma attached to it—is beneficial for an individual or a whole family. Not one person is exempted from going through difficult times, but it’s a great promise that individuals won’t have to go through it alone. With great help from professionals such as counselors and therapists, one (or a whole family in this case) will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Understanding

After going through a difficult time, family members may have unintentionally built walls to guard how they really feel. Family therapy allows them to be proactive to keep the family together. Nothing is too small or too big to talk about in therapy, as it endeavors to improve the relationships and functions of the members of a unit. When walls are broken down, a way of understanding is paved.

Better communication

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Now that a way of understanding is made, a place for better communication is built. Acceptance is key and letting go is an integral part of the process when going through a difficult situation. With open lines of communication, resolving conflicts will be easier, and there will be better knowledge of how specific behaviors affect something. With a renewed way of communicating, trust is instilled in the family.

Deeper empathy

Empathy causes one to be more understanding and accepting of other’s feelings as they relate to them. Having gone through the same emotional turmoil as the other would allow one to provide better comfort and even reduce conflict and have better anger management skills.

Hi! My name is Walter J. Viola, and I’m a psychology graduate student from UC Berkeley. My goal is to become a family therapist. To read more posts like this, follow my blog.

A Primer On The Most Common Types Of Family Therapy

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There are various approaches to family therapy, depending on the specific needs of the family or the nature of the issues they are currently facing. These are the most common types of family therapy Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW) apply:

Bowenian

Developed by Murray Bowen in late 1940s, this form of family therapy is most applicable for individuals who do not want to involve their family during treatment. Bowenian therapy uses two core concepts, namely triangulation, or the natural tendency of people to vent their feelings to a third party, and differentiation, or the ability of a person to be less emotionally reactive in relationships with family members.

Structural

Structural family therapy puts emphasis on adjusting or reordering the family system so that the parents are in control of the family, children understand their roles, powers and responsibilities are distributed, and appropriate boundaries are set.

Systemic

Also called the Gianfranco-Cecchin Milan model, this family therapy type attempts to find meaning behind the behaviors of the family members. Therapists who use this also believe that the members communicate with one another on an unconscious level. Working on this framework, the therapist usually remains neutral and distant during treatment.

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Strategic

This form of family therapy is generally more brief and direct than the others. In this strategic approach, the therapist takes the position of authority and prescribes homework to the family that seek to change the way the family members interact and communicate with one another.

Hello, I’m Walter J. Viola. I’m a psychology grad student from UC Berkeley, and I intend to focus on family therapy to help families reconnect and reconcile their differences, as well as maintain a healthy relationship. For more information about me, visit this Twitter page.

Appeasing children’s fears about news and current events

Many things we can’t control happen all over the world, and we can’t keep those tragic ones from reaching our kids, given today’s quick access to the news on television and via social media. But how can we best handle and explain these events to them? Here are some tips to assure them and push away any sense of misunderstanding. 

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One is to outright turn off the television or the radio or live streaming from phones when the news is being broadcast. It’s very important that any stimulus of bad news reach our kids in moderation. It’s best if they hear such news from someone they love, like you as a parent, instead of a reporter on TV. Also, it prevents them from witnessing graphic details that often come on screen. 

Secondly, ensure that your decisions are age-appropriate. A 6th grader, for example, is more receptive and understanding that your four-year-old kid. Don’t forget to sit down with your child, especially if you suspect that they have seen news that’s difficult to grasp. Be honest, and explain in basic terms what you know; never embellish nor invent a different ending. But keep in mind that they don’t need to be told all the gritty details. 

Finally, listen to your children and pay attention to each question as needed. While they might not have any queries now, they can have a bunch of them in the future. It is crucial that they can properly process these events, as these will manifest in the way they interact with other kids as well as with siblings. 

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Hi there, my name’sWalter J. Viola , and I’m a psychology student attending UC Berkeley for my graduate studies. My goal is to become a family therapist. For more on my writings on the subject, do check out this blog.