Family counseling can take on many forms and is highly adaptable in order to meet your family’s specific needs. Counselors often use a combination of strategies to help your family with whatever you are dealing.

Counselors take a variety of factors into account when they develop a counseling plan for your family. Counseling is not one size fits all. One of the greatest benefits of counseling is that a counselor works to help your family unit in the best way possible. Things a counselor considers may include:

• Number of family members participating.
• Ages of family members participating.
• The willingness of each family member to be active in the sessions.
• Type of issues being addressed.
• Overall goals of the family unit.
• Any special medical needs.
• Mental health considerations.
• The role of faith in the family’s life.
• How often the family attends.

As a counselor assesses these things, the counselor develops a plan for your family. As they work with you, they adapt the plan to continue meeting your needs.

Three effective strategies often used in family counseling include structural family therapy, communication training, and narrative therapy.

Structural family counseling.

The focus of this approach is the structure and organization of the family. Common things addressed are the roles of each person in the family, assessing current boundaries and setting healthy boundaries, and hierarchies in the family unit. The therapist helps the family identify dysfunctional patterns to find better ways to move forward. They work with the family to suggest changes to improve family dynamics.

Elements of structural family therapy can include:

Boundary setting.

Working together, the counselor will help the family clarify current boundaries and adjust boundaries between family members to establish healthier interactions.

Reframing.

The concept of reframing involves shifting perspectives and reframing issues. This helps family members understand one another and work through problems more effectively.

Enactments.

Role-playing scenarios allow members of the family an opportunity to explore and address conflicts or challenges in the safe, controlled environment of the counselor’s office.

Communication training.

One of the pillars of healthy family interactions is communication. For a variety of reasons, it can be a difficult thing for families. If one person in the family struggles with the central issue in family dynamics, the whole family struggles. This strategy aims to improve how family members express themselves, listen, and interact.

Techniques used in communication training include:

Active listening.

This method teaches family members to listen attentively, validate each other’s feelings, and respond empathetically. This one strategy can make a big difference in family relations and communication.

“I” statements.

The counselor will encourage individuals in the family to express their thoughts and emotions using “I” statements. By doing this, the family can avoid blame as people take responsibility for their feelings and communicate them well. This can foster greater understanding in the family.

Reflective communication.

Similar to active listening, reflective communication goes a step further to ensure understanding. By guiding family members to restate and validate each other’s messages it helps everyone communicate more effectively.

Narrative therapy.

Everyone in the family operates with their understanding of events and relationships. Part of that is done in the stories each person tells themselves. Narrative therapy focuses on reshaping the family’s perceptions of their problems. When they explore and alter the stories they tell themselves they can improve the family unit.

The narrative therapy strategy involves:

Externalizing issues.

Looking at a problem from a new perspective, separate from any one individual, the family can see things in a new light. By treating problems as separate from the individuals, the family can collaborate to address them effectively.

Re-authoring.

Sometimes people need a chance to rewrite the story they believe in their mind. Reauthoring allows the counselor to guide family members in rewriting their narratives in more empowering ways to promote positive change.

Unique outcomes.

When people in the family explore past successes and solutions to problems, they shift the focus from the problem to something better. Instead, the focus becomes highlighting the strengths and resilience of the family.

Family counseling for your family.

Counselors recognize that the needs of your family are unique and differ from other families. As you consider counseling for your family, it is good to remember that these strategies are adapted and combined based on the dynamics of each family.

Find out how a counselor can help your family improve communication, foster understanding, and solve problems as a healthy family unit. Connect with the office to learn more about the counseling services offered. There are Christian counselors ready to help you and your family grow closer and stronger.