Family Therapy
Ubuntu
(n.) "I am what I am because of who we all are" -Zulu saying; compassion, kindness and humanity that connect us together by sharing ourselves with others and caring for those around us.
My initial training at Edgewood College taught me to view the world and its inhabitants as interconnected and interdependent. While many times individuals come to therapy to adjust their own perspectives about themselves and others, there is a unique experience that comes from working with the entire family. All people are the product of their environment, and becoming a part of changing how a family sees itself requires a mindset that is very different than individual therapy.
When I meet with families, I take an approach that assumes that all individuals in the family have good reasons for doing the things that they do. Parents don't become frustrated with their children just because they are stressed (though many would argue that parenting is one of the most stressful experiences one can have). Their children's behavior affects how frustrated they become. Likewise, adolescents who are struggling with becoming their authentic selves don't get frustrated with their parents just because they are not getting enough sleep (though that certainly might be true for them). Parents can usher in an adolescent's adulthood in ways that make the process much less painful for everyone.
How we act towards each other matters to everyone involved. That is the work of family therapy.
Many of the benefits of Family Therapy mirror the benefits of Individual Therapy. But are there additional things that people can get from Family Therapy?
Certainly. While experience varies, many experience changes such as these:
- Feeling supported and nurtured by each other
- A more complete understanding of the perspectives of both one's family and one's self
- A more reliable support network
- Transitions into typical developmental changes are much smoother
- Decreased daily stress
- Better relationships among family members
- A more robust ability to navigate conflicts with each other
- So many more...