Here’s a good question: Does family counselling actually work? While a range of factors contribute to its success, the simple and most factual answer is yes. Family counselling is proven to help people overcome many crippling problems.
Employing the help of a professional mediator to effectively address relationship strains is not only proven to work, it is advised by both specialists and those who have undergone the treatment. If you’re on the fence about going for family counselling, take a look at the following facts about it:
1. Family counselling is a widely successful practice
Research shows that families who have attended family counselling indicate a high level of patient satisfaction, with more than 98 percent of those surveyed claiming they received good or excellent couples or family counselling and over 97 percent of them saying they gained the help they needed. That’s an incredible satisfaction rate!
The same report shows that 93 percent of patients claim they learned effective ways for dealing with their problems after consulting a therapist. Beyond that, respondents also report improved physical health and better productivity at work.
2. It can treat addiction problems
An addiction can affect anyone in the family. It could be your own habits or those of your spouse, teenager, parent or sibling. Even if the addict is not in the immediate family, the results of their behaviour may still be felt.
If your loved one needs an intervention, rehabilitation or counselling, the entire family will benefit from family counselling. From it, the family can learn how to support each other and fight the addiction together.
3. Family counselling can help you plan for the future.
People will naturally grow and evolve their behaviours and desires. It is often forgotten that sometimes we have to adapt to the way our families change and grow as well. One common tension point arises when adult children refuse their parents the liberty to think about the way they want to live their lives. Often, family members can have very different ideas of how the other members should live and the independence they are entitled to. This is very common and often leads to serious conflicts. A family counsellor can help your family navigate its future without the bickering and fighting, and with open lines of communication with a neutral mediator.
4. It doesn’t take a lot of time!
According to a report by Rachel Tasker, couples or family therapy is usually faster and more effective than individual therapy alone. A therapist would normally be able to navigate around combined schedules and set sessions that suit everyone’s availability. This is key because when a couple or a family goes to therapy together, they have the chance to work on their group dynamic, and this leads them to success faster. It normally requires about a third fewer sessions to accomplish a goal in family or couples therapy than it does in individual counselling.
However, if you’re asking yourself if you have the time to attend family or marriage counselling, perhaps you should be asking yourself whether you really want to go through the process at all.
5. Works Best if Sought Early
Even if you don’t necessarily think you or anyone close to you needs therapy, Tasker goes on to assert that, if a strained relationship waits until its problems are too far gone, saving the relationship at that point can be very difficult.
In a few cases, people’s interactions have grown so abusive or negative that the therapist may struggle to introduce new ways of communication. For the best chance at success, couples and families should seek therapy as soon as possible, even if they think they don’t need it.
Relations between family members can often turn abusive or limiting, leading to frustration all around, as well as unproductive emotions and behaviour. We hope that our quick take on family counselling encourages you to seek the help that could strengthen or save the ties held between you and your loved ones.
