Counseling for Families in Brooklyn: What can it do for us?

Key Takeaways:

• Family counseling can be used to address issues or simply strengthen the family bond.
• Some therapists specialize in family counseling.
• Some common problems addressed in family counseling include constant arguing, member isolation, and substance abuse.

Many people incorrectly assume that therapy is a strictly private matter, where one person at a time secludes themselves in a stuffy room with a therapist.

But this is not the case - at least not always.

In family therapy, for example, while there may be individual sessions with each member, most sessions will require the attendance of every member.

Only by including the entire family can the therapist begin to fully understand the relational dynamics that make it tick.

By talking with the whole family, a therapist can actually gain more insight - and give more insightful advice - than if they were to visit one by one.

Let's talk about counseling for families in Brooklyn, and dive into some of the more common issues for which family therapy can be a way to healing.

Family Therapy Resources for Brooklyn Residents on This Page:

How does family counseling work?

What Family Therapy Can Help With

Counseling for Families in Brooklyn: Williamsburg Therapy Group

How does family counseling work?

The way family counseling works often varies by the issue that is being addressed.

Typically, however, the therapist will start by talking with each member of the family individually and then bring them together to discuss the issue.

If the issue concerns one particular family member, they may be excluded from sessions at the discretion of the therapist, and then included later to discuss.

How much does family therapy cost?

Anywhere from $100 to $300 - about the same as individual therapy.

Family therapy may be slightly more expensive in some cases, as sessions may need to run longer and there is often more psychological work to be done, but in general, you can expect to pay within that range for family therapy.

What kind of therapy is used in family therapy?

This also depends on the specific issue, but usually therapists and psychologists will use one of four main types:

• Psychodynamic Therapy - This form of therapy asserts that there are unconscious reasons for family conflict, and attempts to bring them to the surface so that they may be resolved.
• Systemic Family Therapy - Systemic family therapy focuses on - no surprise here - the family system. It takes the thoughts, feelings, and relationship dynamics of the family as a whole and addresses it through thoughtful conversation.
• Supportive Family Therapy - This form of therapy emphasizes establishing a safe environment where members of the family can speak their mind truly and without fear of judgment. The therapist's job, in this case, is to guide conversation to be productive, rather than purely conflicted.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Utilizing the ideas of identifying negative thought patterns and cognitive restructuring, CBT is a very effective way for the whole family to think in more positive, constructive, and healthy ways.
  

Note that these forms of family therapy can often be mixed and matched, and may not be mutually exclusive during your sessions.

Will family therapy make our problem worse?

In the long-term, it's very unlikely.

Family therapy can certainly bring past traumas and betrayal to light, which can be painful in the short term. It's also possible that, in addressed latent relational issues within the family, fights can break out or become more frequent.

But understand that this may be part of the healing process, and is often necessary for long-term healing.

If you find that, after 8 or 12 sessions, the problem is only becoming worse, you may consider switching therapists. It is more likely that a specific therapist is the wrong fit than that the process of therapy itself is ineffective for you.

Family therapy can help with so many issues. Let's outline some of them now.

What Family Therapy Can Help With

Family therapy can help with a myriad of issues, and it's impossible to name them all specifically.

However, there are two broad and informal classes of problems for which family therapy may be recommended:

• Family-Centric Issues: Think constant fighting, life transitions, moving to a new city, and any other problem by which the family as a whole is being affected.
• Family-Adjacent Issues: Think substance abuse, isolation, and family member depression; issues for which the family may be able to help, or may even be partially responsible.

Let's discuss a few examples of issues for which family therapy may be able to help.

Substance Use Disorder

Particularly in cases of teen substance abuse, the family dynamic is often a heavy contributor to substance use disorder.

Family therapy may be able to help with this by discovering if any family dynamics or past family trauma may be contributing. It can also inform the family on how they are able to best support the family member or members that are having problems with substances.

Family Member Isolation

If one or more family members are isolating themselves socially, there may be some underlying condition like depression. It's also possible that there is conflict in the family that is being avoided.

Family therapy may be able to accomplish one or both of the following goals:

• Defining and identifying the family dynamics that may be encouraging isolation.
• Establishing stronger family support for the isolating member.

Consistent Conflict

Sometimes, the family relationship builds and releases tension in waves, which may manifest as consistent and unproductive arguing.

Family therapy may be able to identify what the problem is and how it can be resolved in a healthy way.

Counseling for Families in Brooklyn: Williamsburg Therapy Group

At Williamsburg Therapy Group, our team of dedicated marriage and family therapists are all doctoral-level, meaning they have unique insight into family dynamics and are equipped with the best possible modalities for addressing them.

Give us a call or book an appointment online today. No matter the issue, our team is ready to help. Feeling better may be closer than you think!