The Gist:

• Family Therapists help families create and maintain a healthy family dynamic

• They can meet with individuals separately or the entire family at once

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The main role of a Family Therapist is to help families create and maintain a healthy family dynamic.

For many people, when they partnered up and thought about raising a family, they had no idea how drastically it would change their lives. 

Think about this - it always kind of freaks me out:

You brought a TOTAL STRANGER home and agreed to feed, clothe and raise them for 18 (or more) years!!!

WHO DOES THAT????? That’s nuts!! And yet, that’s what we do when we welcome a child into our home, either by giving birth or fostering or adopting.

And it changes EVERYTHING.

Anytime we are in a relationship with other people, conflicts will arise. Some of them will be “regular” conflicts: who changes the diapers, who cooks dinner, who forgot to take out the trash. 

Other times, conflict will arise from more serious stuff, like parents disagreeing about how to treat their child’s autism or language delay.

Families who have children with higher needs are more likely to experience conflict and are more likely to get divorced than the general population. It can be stressful to have a child with high needs, who needs lots of attention; whose therapies take up a lot of time and a lot of financial resources. 

Like social workers, Family Therapists (some of whom are social workers by training) are a resource for families who are experiencing conflict without really knowing how to resolve it. 

A Family Therapist can meet with the entire family at once, or with the individuals in the family at different times. They can help diffuse difficult situations and find new constructive ways of being together as a family.

Stress at work, issues within a marriage, or situations in school can not only affect the individual that is experiencing them, but the entire family. 

Problems with finances, substance abuse, communication and interactions are all things that families can find help with through family therapy. 

The true goal of family therapy is to create and maintain a healthy family environment that enriches the lives and relationships that are within that structure. With that in mind, don’t hesitate to reach out to someone in your area for a consultation if you think your family can benefit.

Check out our other blog post about other parts of your team that can help in creating a beautiful family environment for you and your littles. Keep an eye out on social media for more videos and tips from Speechkids.

All my best-

Gabriele