Family counseling aims to develop and maintain healthy and functional family relationships. While the results can vary from family to family, many report improvements in setting and honoring boundaries, communication, and problem-solving. Family therapy also offers very specific benefits to children and can even reduce the risk of mental health conditions in adolescents.
But to enjoy these benefits, you’ll first need to explore family counseling services and find the right counselor for you. Here are some questions to ask to ensure that you make the best choice.
1. Do We Have Any Family Therapist Preferences?
Do you and your family have any preferences when it comes to the gender, background, or ethnicity of your therapist? While these don’t matter for some families, others feel that being selective about these factors can have a positive influence on the counseling process. Likewise, you might want to find a counselor who specializes in a concern of yours, such as teen anxiety, eating disorders, or addiction.
2. Should We Use Insurance or Pay Cash?
One of the biggest mistakes people make when choosing a family counselor is paying out of pocket unnecessarily.
Paying cash appeals to many because it ensures total privacy and your choice of providers. In contrast, using your insurance to pay for therapy means having to search for an in-network family therapist. That said, it’s always worth asking your chosen provider if there are other ways to seek at least partial reimbursement for family counseling services.
3. What Are Our Family Therapy Goals?
Every family comes to counseling with a unique set of expectations. Considering your goals before your first family counseling session will help you and your therapist know what everyone expects from the process. Before you start, sit down as a family and discuss what you all hope to gain from the experience.
4. What Does Family Therapy Look Like?
We’ve all seen one-on-one therapy and couples counseling on TV and in the movies. But few of us know exactly what a family therapy session looks like.
Will your therapist always see you all together? Or will there be times that they want to speak to each member alone? And what kinds of techniques will the sessions involve?
Asking your therapist these kinds of questions will help you all feel more relaxed and positive about the process so make sure to speak up if there’s anything you want to know.
5. Is Our Family Therapist a Good Fit?
It’s important to approach family therapy as a unit. That means making your choice of counselor together, attending together, and especially debriefing together.
For family therapy to help, the dynamics need to be right for all involved. Make sure to discuss each session afterward and see how everyone feels—both about the process and the therapist. If any of you have genuine concerns then it might be time to look for a new family counselor.
Finding Family Counseling Services
As these questions show, there is a lot to consider when exploring possible family counseling services.
From the financial commitment to getting the right fit for you and your family, finding a family counselor that you all respond well to can be tough. But once you’ve found one, you’ll soon start to see the difference they can make to your family!
Are you ready to book your first family therapy session? Contact us here at Honor Your Emotions for more information or to make an appointment.
