Our family plays a huge role in determining our identity and what we become, both for the better and for the worse. We learn how to interact with the world around us, while forming our beliefs, values and overall personality. If we are born into a family that struggles to emotionally connect with each other, it can lead to a lack of confidence in ourselves and various other issues. One way that families can work on providing a supportive environment for individual family members is through family therapy.
Family therapy is an effective way to address various issues within a family and even heal emotional wounds. There is evidence to support the effectiveness of family problem solving and multisystemic family therapy, says an article by the PACFA Research Committee.
Here are some goals that can be achieved with family therapy.
1. Better Adjustment
If one or more of the family members is suffering from a mental disorder, it can lead to a lot of added stress within the family. Some members might show very low levels of acceptance. Here, the goal of family therapy is assist the family to understand the nature of the disorder.
2. Improved Understanding
Effective family therapy can help increase understanding between members, leading to healthy relationships.
3. Elimination of Cross-Generational Problems
Problems that arise between members due to the generation gap can also be addressed through a group therapy sessions.
4. Coping with Societal Attitudes
Many families deviate from what is considered socially desirable, such as gay couples adopting children, unmarried parents raising children, etc. These families need help to cope with the attitude of society towards them. Around 94% of LGBT youths have experienced at least one incident where they were the target of hate, says an article by the Institute of Personal Growth. The goal here is to help stay strong and true to yourself, despite adversity.
5. Greater Support for Those in Individual Therapy
If one member of the family is receiving individual therapy, the responsibility of the other members is to provide support. So, the main goal is to increase empathy for the person so that they continue with their treatment.
6. Blended Families
For blended families (step-families), the goal is to facilitate cordial interactions between members, so that they learn to live as one happy family.
You do not need to have a big problem to seek therapy. The goal is to lead a happy and fulfilling life and if anything comes in the way of that goal, it is best to seek help.