When you’ve decided it’s time to get some support for your family and a situation they may be facing, it’s important to choose the right counsellor. That involves:
REASONS TO SEEK THE SUPPORT OF A FAMILY THERAPIST
Families face many challenges – some have been around as long as there have been families, and others are more relevant to today’s challenges. Navigating these challenges can be difficult and sometimes, you need the help of an outside, trained therapist to help your family to move forward and gain or recover healthy relationships.
Some of these challenges include:
- Divorce or separation
- Abuse and neglect
- Trauma
- Grief and loss
- Anger management
- Stress management
THE RIGHT FIT
The relationship between you and your therapist (in this case your entire family!) is an important factor in a successful outcome. Your therapist should be someone whose approach makes your family members feel safe, respected, and listened to. Ideally, each member of the family will respond well to the same approach but of course, that’s not realistic as each person is unique as is each family. The therapist will be able to challenge family members who may need a bit of a push to get out of their comfort zone, and be extra gentle with others who need to feel nurtured. You know your family best – do you think a therapist with a no-nonsense approach is best? Or someone who is truly an expert in the topic in which you’re seeking counseling? Or a warm and soft-spoken therapist may be a good fit for your family.
THE RIGHT THERAPEUTIC APPROACH
There are many successful treatment programs in psychology. There are specific therapy approaches that have been effective for people dealing with divorce, trauma, grief and more. Finding the one that will work for your family situation is important. Each family counselor offers different approaches and techniques to accommodate different families who experience problems distinct from others. At your first appointment, you can ask questions about the therapy and what is expected of you and those involved in counseling. The right family counselor will also have had experience in treating problems similar to the ones that you are your family are experiencing. If you choose to see a Practicum Student, they may not have that level of expertise, but they work with experienced, supervisor psychologists with whom they can regularly consult.
STRENGTHEN YOUR FAMILY – STRENGTHEN YOURSELF
Families often need help when dealing with divorce, eating disorders, anger management, abuse and other difficulties complicating family relationships. A family counselor is a fully licensed therapist who adheres to confidentiality and ethical regulations which may be necessary in some cases involving legal issues. When choosing a therapist, ask them about these guidelines if this is applicable to your family situation.
A professional counselor from Insight will provide you with paperwork before counseling actually begins explaining rules regarding confidentiality measures.
Family relationships can be very complex and very important relationships. Navigating ever-changing dynamics alone can be challenging but adding other problems such as divorce, separation, trauma, abuse, and more can make finding peace within your family seem impossible. At Insight, we believe that families can break old patterns, find new, effective ways to communicate, overcome challenges and even thrive. Contact one of our Edmonton locations for more information.
