Introduction to Family Therapy
Family therapy, also known as family counseling or family systems therapy, is a therapeutic approach that focuses on improving communication, resolving conflicts, and enhancing relationships within a family unit. Its purpose is to address various challenges that families may encounter, including issues such as communication breakdowns, conflicts, behavioral problems in children or adolescents, major life transitions, substance abuse, mental health issues, divorce, and blended family dynamics.
By involving all family members in the therapeutic process, family therapy aims to foster understanding, promote healthy interaction patterns, and create a supportive environment where individuals can work together to overcome difficulties and strengthen their bonds. Typically, members of a family go to a family session biweekly, however the level of need within the family determines the frequency of sessions. Family therapy does not take the place of individual therapy, and family members continue to see their individual therapists as well. Family therapy sessions focus on the family unit while individual therapy focuses on the individual needs.
At Healing Sounds, LLC, Kimberly Baker is a new Family Therapy intern. She practices family therapy through an Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and family systems approach, which is a comprehensive and integrative method that focuses on understanding the emotional dynamics and interconnectedness of family members. By exploring attachment patterns, emotional expressions, and family roles, the therapist aims to promote secure emotional bonds within the family while addressing broader family dynamics and communication patterns. This combined approach seeks to foster empathy, open communication, and adaptive coping mechanisms, ultimately leading to improved family relationships and a healthier family system overall. One focus is to create a secure emotional bond within the family, where individuals feel safe to share their feelings and needs without fear of rejection or judgment.
The goal is to strengthen family connections and resolve conflicts by promoting a secure emotional base from which family members can support and nurture one another. Rather than focusing solely on individual members, family therapists using the systems perspective pay close attention to family roles, communication patterns, boundaries, and power dynamics. Family members' behaviors and emotions are seen as interconnected, and any changes in one family member can create a ripple effect on the entire family system.
Ready to take a deeper look at your family system?
In addition to providing family therapy services, Kim will also be leading free monthly parenting workshops!
Click the image below to register:
