Family is essential to many people’s lives, regardless of size or how long they’ve been a part of their current family system. However, as vital as family is for so many of us, it’s not always easy to prevent obstacles from driving wedges between our loved ones and us.
Family
counselling is one of the most effective ways to overcome those hardships and
stay connected to our families. However, not everyone knows what family
counselling is, and many family therapy myths keep people from signing up for a
service that could save their relationships.
Below,
we will look at the five most common and detrimental misconceptions about family therapy in Perth and paint a more accurate
picture of how therapy can help your family system.
Myth
#1: Family Therapy Hurts More Than It Helps
Many
struggling family units are sceptical of family therapy because they believe
the sessions will add more tension than they can overcome. And while it’s true
that family therapy will cover and encourage discussion on many of the
hardships your family system is facing, therapists are experts in ensuring that
you can manage such frustrations when you return home.
The
most significant thing family therapists work on with their patients is
improving communication. More often than not, communication-building lessons
and exercises are the first things a counsellor covers. Those lessons will give
you and your family basic ground rules on speaking healthily and without anger,
ensuring that whatever frustrating topics come up during the session won’t pull
you apart at home.
And
once you’ve developed basic communication skills, your therapist will guide
your family on how to use those skills to face your problems head-on and build
productive solutions.
Myth
#2: Family Therapy Requires All Family Members to Work
Modern
movies and television often depict family counselling as an all-or-nothing
service with every relative crowded into a session, but this has led to one of
the most prevalent and detrimental family therapy myths. Many people now
believe that family therapy isn’t an option for an individual or pair of
relatives.
Not
every family member needs to attend family therapy to see results. Roughly half
of all family therapy sessions are between one family member and a therapist.
Patients who typically have issues with speaking honestly are more willing to
open up in that intimate environment, giving the counsellor a better sense of
how they can help.
Patients
can take the lessons they learn in one-on-one family therapy and apply them to
their entire family system. Even without everyone in the sessions, whole family
units will benefit from just one or two therapy attendees who can help the
group set boundaries and work toward long-term goals.
Myth
#3: Family Therapy Takes Years to Bring Results
Many
families opt not to add the extra dedication of family therapy to their
already-busy schedule due to time. Between various professional, parental, and
personal responsibilities, most people can’t spare years of their life for an
additional commitment.
But
while family therapy is different for each patient. It’s generally one of the
quickest counselling methods available. Most of the time, patients finish
family counselling within 12 sessions over a few months.
Weekly
hour-long sessions for 12 weeks still might sound like too much for you to
spare. But the lessons you and your family take away will last a lifetime and
help you build a happy, fulfilling life.
Myth
#4: Family Therapy Can’t Help Those with Mental Illnesses
One
of the most common family therapy myths is that the sessions won’t address
mental health concerns. When many people think of family therapy vs.
traditional one-on-one therapy, they often consider the former as a way for
groups to address their shared obstacles. On the other hand, they view the
latter as the only way to progress through mental health problems.
But
family therapists help patients work through their mental illnesses just like a
traditional therapist. And in family therapy, a therapist might be able to get
young children to talk about mental illnesses that parents didn’t even know
existed.
Additionally,
a family therapist can teach family members how to support and communicate with
their relatives struggling with mental health.
Myth
#5: Family Therapy Means You’ve Failed
The
most damaging of all the common family therapy myths is that counselling is
only for family systems that have failed. However, this stigma is untrue for
several reasons.
Family
therapy addresses more than common relationship frustrations like financial
hardship and child-rearing differences. A counsellor can also help your family
dynamic progress through the grief of shared trauma or the loss of a close
family member.
Grief
is a painful but unavoidable feeling for all, and sometimes it takes a
professional’s touch to make a difference. A family therapist can give you and
your family helpful methods for coping with your shared tragedy.
Additionally,
when couples attend family therapy to resolve conflicts beyond grief, it’s more
a sign that they’re committed to working through their problems than an
indication of failure. Starting a family and building a thriving relationship
is something many people go into blindly, and turning to a professional for
methods on how to make it work shows healthy dedication to the people you love
enough to call family.
What
Family Therapy Really Is
Despite
the many family therapy myths that make people believe otherwise, family
counselling is a healthy and common practice trusted by millions that gives
families the tools they need to thrive.
In
family counselling, you and the family members you attend with will strengthen
your communication skills, learn more about one another, and work through your
problems and underlying mental health difficulties honestly and supportively.
Family therapy is as long or short as you need it to be and can include as few
or as many family members as you want.
