Strengthen Individual and Family Functioning with Marriage and Family Therapy

Family dynamics play a critical role in a person’s mental health and their ability to engage with treatment. Clinicians use family therapy and other services to guide clients through repairing and strengthening relationships with their loved ones. According to the Journal of Clinical Psychology, “Therapists utilize several core clinical strategies to enhance collaboration with families.” Wisconsin Wellness tailors family therapy to the needs and preferences of clients and their loved ones. Licensed professional counselors consider the spiritual, religious, cultural, personal, and medical factors impacting family dynamics.

Transform Your Family’s Future With Expert Family Therapy in Wisconsin

Family therapy provides clients and their loved ones with the tools to build healthier relationships. Studies have shown that “[i]nterpersonal interactions among family members have lasting impacts and influence the development and well-being of an individual [. . .] family dynamics and the quality of family relationships can positively or negatively impact health.” Treatment programs for mental health disorders often use family therapy to address and resolve tension or conflict between family members.

Mental health experts at Wisconsin Wellness facilitate family healing by doing the following:

• Providing support services, including psychoeducation and family therapy
• Incorporating family members into the treatment process
• Guiding clients through repairing unhealthy family dynamics

Every family is different. The challenges facing clients and their loved ones vary depending on a wide range of factors, including interpersonal dynamics, family history of substance abuse and mental health disorders, or the presence of multigenerational trauma. Family therapy sessions provide support, guidance, and information about how to support family members in treatment.

What Is Family Therapy?

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy directed toward a family unit. The goal of family therapy is to enhance communication and resolve any potential relationship conflicts in a healthy way. According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, “Family therapy is a structured form of psychotherapy that seeks to reduce distress and conflict by improving the systems of interactions between family members.” Many people with mental health disorders lack social support. Therapy assists families in making necessary changes to support long-term recovery by providing clients with a nurturing and healthy home environment.

People attend family therapy for many reasons, including:

• Lack of communication
• Marital or parent-child conflict
• Mental health disorders impacting family members
• Toxic, maladaptive, or unhealthy family dynamics
• Substance abuse or mental health disorders
• Childhood or marital abuse or neglect

Anyone can participate in family therapy. Young adults with mental health disorders often experience better outcomes if they engage in family therapy before transitioning into continuing care. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may contribute significantly to mental health disorders in adolescents, teens, and young adults. Family therapy reduces the risk of someone experiencing ACEs and provides young adults with the tools to build healthier social relationships.

The Role of Family in the Development of Mental Health Disorders

Family relationships often play a role in the development of mental health disorders. Loved ones may unintentionally enable maladaptive or harmful behaviors. For example, instead of encouraging loved ones to get help for their mental health symptoms, a family member may make excuses for them or cover for their harmful behaviors. Enabling and codependent family relationships are two common factors contributing to the development of mental health conditions. Psychoeducation is the best tool for providing families with the information they need to support their loved ones and reduce the risk of future mental health disorders.

Addressing Multigenerational Trauma in Family Therapy

Multiple generations in a family may have unaddressed trauma affecting the mental health and relationships of every family member. Family therapy is an excellent treatment for multigenerational trauma and other conditions experienced by multiple people in a household. Seeking help and participating in therapy as a unit can help families avoid passing on the trauma to the next generation.

Wisconsin Wellness treats mental health disorders caused by multigenerational trauma using family therapy and other therapeutic tools. According to Frontiers in Psychology, “There is growing evidence that parental trauma is associated with psychosocial disorders, externalizing and internalizing [concerns], and higher sensitivity to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [. . .] trauma-focused multi-family therapy” can “restrict the relational consequences of parental trauma and strengthen family resilience.”

Clients address multigenerational trauma using family therapy by doing the following:

• Talking through the cause and effect of various family choices
• Normalizing conversations about mental health
• Identifying behaviors, thought patterns, and beliefs impacting family cohesion
• Collaborating to find creative solutions and healthy compromises for addressing family concerns

Trauma often lingers and affects the quality of life for every family member until it is addressed in a healthy way. Family therapy is a safe, nonjudgmental space where multiple generations can come together and work through their trauma. Healing together strengthens relationships and improves outcomes for clients in treatment. Families can break the cycle of trauma by identifying and addressing the things impacting their mental health and relationships.

Build Stronger Family Bonds Through Proven Therapy Methods

Family therapy is a proven method for helping people learn, grow, and heal. After spending time together in therapy, people often build stronger bonds with loved ones and have a deeper understanding of one another. Therapy provides clients with an environment where they can explore self-expression, learn to manage their condition and develop healthier social connections. Every member of the family benefits from attending therapy sessions and actively engaging in the treatment process.

Adolescents, teens, and young adults struggling with mental health symptoms or emotional distress may significantly benefit from family therapy. Some of the areas family therapy addresses include:

• Parent-child conflicts
• Academic difficulties
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Low self-esteem
• Emotional distress caused by divorce, separation, remarriage, or loss
• Anger management
• Physical, sexual, or verbal abuse
• Neglect
• Bullying or social stress
• Substance use disorder (SUD)

Families are often stronger after they spend time together attending therapy sessions. A mental health counselor provides families with guidance, insights, and education about the realities of recovering from mental health disorders.

Witness the Transformation With Wisconsin’s Leading Therapists

Positive mental health impacts all areas of a person’s life, including career, relationships, physical health, and spiritual wellness. Clients at Wisconsin Wellness are provided with personalized treatment plans and support services, including individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

People participating in the following modalities may also benefit from participating in family therapy:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Mental health professionals at Wisconsin Wellness use their expertise and skills to assist clients in transforming their lives. Family therapy is often one step on the path of mental health recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions About Family Therapy in Wisconsin

Many people in Wisconsin do not have easy access to comprehensive and personalized mental health treatment programs. Individuals and families often have questions about specific treatment modalities, including family therapy. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about family therapy at Wisconsin Wellness.

Who Can Attend Family Therapy?

Family therapy is not reserved for blood relatives or legally related individuals. Anyone who plays a significant role in a client’s life and recovery can attend family therapy. Not all family members must attend therapy for the treatment to be effective. However, the outcome of treatment is often better if all members of a family unit attend therapy.

Anyone who supports the client is welcome to attend family therapy sessions at Wisconsin Wellness.

What Do Family Therapists Do?

A family therapist facilitates conversations between family members by utilizing psychotherapy and other therapeutic tools. The therapist is an objective guide and does not “take sides” during conflict between family members. Family therapy aims to provide support and skill development to ensure families navigate recovery together in a healthy way.

Therapists tailor their approach to meet the unique needs and preferences of each client and their loved ones. Collaboration is a vital part of family therapy, and every family member has a role to play in healing or strengthening the family unit. A therapist may also assign homework between sessions to draw family members closer together.

How Long Does Therapy for Families Take to Work?

Every family unit is unique, and there is no standard time frame for how long it takes a family to resolve the situations that brought them into therapy. Often, families spend months or years in therapy learning to communicate and support one another more effectively.

Wisconsin Wellness uses family therapy as a tool for addressing underlying factors impacting people’s mental health during treatment. Some families only require a handful of sessions to resolve complications affecting treatment. Other families may undergo therapy throughout the duration of treatment and receive referrals to aftercare services. Each case is unique. Clinicians collaborate closely with clients and their loved ones to ensure they can access the most appropriate support services.

How Can You Encourage a Family Member to Attend Family Therapy?

Some people may feel hesitant to attend family therapy. Past negative experiences, shame, guilt, fear, or disinterest may cause people to avoid attending family therapy at first. Clients encourage family members to attend therapy by providing factual information about the benefits and how it will improve the family dynamic.

Wisconsin Wellness works with clients to help them understand the importance of healthy family dynamics. Clients use the information and resources the care team provides to discuss with their loved ones how participating in therapy can improve mental health for the entire family unit. People in treatment can also provide examples of how not attending treatment may negatively impact their treatment and recovery. Often, family members choose to attend therapy when they understand how avoidance may cause their loved one to struggle with mental health symptoms.

Is Therapy for Families Effective?

Family therapy improves relationships and reduces the risk of clients experiencing tension, conflict, or miscommunication with loved ones during treatment. According to the previously mentioned article by SAMHSA, “Research suggests that behavioral health treatment that includes family therapy works better than treatment that does not.” In addition, “For people with mental illness, family therapy in conjunction with individual treatment can increase medication adherence, reduce rates of relapse and rehospitalization, reduce psychiatric symptoms, and relieve stress.” Wisconsin Wellness understands the importance of family support in treatment and long-term recovery. Clients are encouraged to include their loved ones in treatment and therapy.

Family therapy is a valuable tool for helping clients heal and manage mental health disorders. To learn more about family therapy at Wisconsin Wellness, call our office today at (920) 404-2100.

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For more information about our services or to make an appointment, please visit our website or call our Appleton office directly. Let Wisconsin Wellness guide you in embracing life’s challenges and committing to a healthier, more fulfilling future. Contact our Appleton, WI office with any specific questions you may have or to schedule an appointment.