Richmond, VA—Family Therapy and Counseling
Family is a powerful cultural value for many people. Regardless of whether the family they want is small, medium, or large, many people long for warm relationships as brothers, sisters, parents, children, uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, husbands, and wives. When families thrive, each member’s needs are met, and each member contributes from their unique abilities. Within a healthy family life, people feel happy, connected, and fulfilled.
It is no secret, however, that families do not always function with such harmony. Family dysfunction is a common occurrence because when one family member experiences trouble, often other family members are affected. It does not take much for families to start working against each other instead of working for each other. Overcoming the dysfunction can be difficult without an outside perspective.
The counselors and psychologists at Thriveworks Richmond understand the challenges that threaten to tear families apart. We love seeing families face their difficulties together and grow closer as they find solutions that work for each individual family member.
Life’s Challenges
Which TV families have you followed and experienced life’s ups and downs with? The Bravermans. The Huxtables. The Gilmores. The Bradys. The Winslows. The Pritchetts and Dunphys. The Tanners. The Cleavers. The Bluths. The Arnolds. TV’s most popular families have developed their fan base because they portray loving, dedicated families and also the difficult life challenges that families face.
Every family, regardless of size, ethnicity, or socio-economic status, will have hardship, and these times can either tear family apart or bond them closer together.
Crises can change life in a moment. When unforeseen events happen to one family member, others are inevitably affected to some degree as well. Crises can blindside and disorient families, but a skilled therapist can help families connect and work together during unexpected disruptions such as:
- A family member’s death
- An accident that results in a disability or injury
- Losing the family’s home
- A financial disruption
- Job loss
Not every challenge, however, is unexpected. Some family problems begin small and manageable, but they grow when left unaddressed. It often does not take long for these problems to overwhelm a family, but therapy may help families make necessary adjustments to deal with on-going challenges such as…
- Resolving marital conflict
- Caring for a physically ill or special-needs family member
- Addressing mental illness
- Working through parenting challenges
How Might Family Therapy Help?
These challenges to not have to harm families. Many families bond in the midst of challenge, but finding balance in the midst of a crisis or on-going difficulty is hard. Often, the outside perspective and safe space that therapy can provide are the help families need to make progressive together. A skilled therapist may help by…
- Opening communication barriers that have formed.
- Using integrated and calming techniques to resolve tension among family members.
- Findings ways for each family member to contribute to the family and receive support from the family.
Family systems therapy and family structural therapy are two popular techniques in family therapy. Their foundational idea is that understanding an individual means understanding their family of origin—people gain their role in life and sense of identity from their family. Even when people distance themselves from their families, the family unit provides the context necessary for understanding the individual.
Families are systems where what impacts one, impacts the whole. Therefore, the goal for family therapy is to help individual members by helping the family function better as a whole. Therapists may explore how families take on certain roles, cope with stress, or set expectations. They may also examine how communication style, love languages, birth order, and personality type affect how family members relate.
Family Counseling at Thriveworks Richmond, VA
Many families have found the help they need through family therapy, and at Thriveworks Richmond, we love helping families connect amidst adversity. When families understand their challenges, they can learn to address them together. Our counselors can provide guidance and support in the journey because they know…
- How to create a space for dialogue and compromise.
- That people are not the problem and blame does not help—the problem is the problem.
- Empathy and understanding go a long way in creating a connected, happy family.
- How to empower individual family members to express their needs.
Has a crisis blindsided your family? Is an on-going challenge making life increasingly more difficult? Family counseling is not a magic formula that will make life easier, but when family members are ready for a more harmonious home life, counseling can guide the process.
At Thriveworks Richmond, we aim to give each client first-rate care. When you schedule family therapy at our office, know that evening and weekend appointments are available. Many first-time clients see their therapist within 24 hours of their call, and we accept many forms of insurance.
If your family is ready to work together, call Thriveworks today. We are ready to help.
