Is Your Family Struggling to Get Along and Communicate Effectively?

Is your family arguing, fighting, failing to communicate? Maybe your son or daughter refuses to follow instructions or acts disrespectfully toward authority figures. Maybe everyone goes to their own space and doesn’t interact at all? Do you miss the family relationships you once had? Do you long for a feeling of normalcy and connection in your home?

There are many reasons families can struggle. Teenagers drift away from parents; younger children have behavior problems; parental disagreements impact the entire family. Or perhaps there are mental health issues in the family that lead to withdrawal, arguments, isolation, and general failures in relating to each other. 

Maybe you’ve tried everything you know—including visits to multiple therapists or extensive Google searches for ideas—but to no avail. Perhaps you’ve read articles and books on parenting and family communication. You may feel frustrated, angry, or hopeless if your family is struggling, particularly when others seem to be doing well. 

Problems in families are not that out of the ordinary. In fact, most families struggle at one time or another. There’s good news! Help is available.

Families Today Face Many Challenges

Families are under intense pressure these days. Most people are over-committed to work, school, activities, etc. Time seems to be a scarce commodity. Family dinner can seem like a thing from the past. Everyone is stressed, disconnected, isolated. Often, it’s hard to find time to talk as a family. When problems are placed on top of this, it can seem hopeless.

Why are families struggling? We live in a fast-paced, media-driven, high pressure society. There is pressure from work, school and all around. We’re on our phones and screens too much! Face-to-face communication can seem like a lost art. Video games, You Tube, and the social media seem to have taken over. Parents feel that they don’t understand the world in which youth live. Teens and children don’t understand where their parents are coming from. Factor in child and teen anxiety and depression and adult stress and you have what can seem like a dire situation. 

Struggles in families can occur at different developmental periods for children and teens. Younger children can resist parental guidance and act out behaviorally. During older childhood, youth can begin to pull away from parents or struggle more emotionally. It is not uncommon for Middle School aged youth to struggle both socially and emotionally in ways that can impact the family. As teens engage with peers more than family members, problems can arise that impact both emotional and behavioral functioning. 

Family Counseling Can Provide A Much-Needed Safe Space

Families can begin to feel that there is no safe place to have discussions and share feelings. The family living room can become a battleground and the kitchen table can begin to feel like an interrogation room. Rides in the family car are filled with stares out the window and silence. The family therapy room can offer something different. 

Family counseling can serve as a source of self-discovery and growth. Families are guided in therapy to try new ways of communicating and sharing their true feelings. Guidelines are set for how to share and communicate. Parents and youth are taught how to show each other respect and to offer each other support. 

We believe healthy relationships are key to emotional well-being, so we’ll explore how your family relationships contribute to both the problems and their solutions. Relationships can be healed and made stronger. Things can be different.

We’re committed to helping families get things back on track as quickly as possible. At the same time, we don’t want therapy to feel threatening or uncomfortable, so we try not to take ourselves too seriously. By leveraging the power of human connection (and well-timed humor), we will help your family reconnect to the joy you once shared. Our family psychologists get to know each member of the family and support them in making their voice heard.

We’re very proud of what our family therapists and families have accomplished together. We have seen families with little hope and a high level of conflict feel better. We have witnessed the restoration of strong relationships that help families to be resilient during tough times. We’ve seen parents gain insight into how to help their kids. Family counseling can lead to a greater sense of cohesion and satisfaction with family relationships.

As you consider family counseling, you may have some hesitations… 

I don’t like the idea that my family may need professional help.

It’s OK. Most families struggle at some point. While some are able to figure it out on their own,  others progress more quickly with the support and guidance of a family psychologist. 

Why should I bring my family to Groupworks and not some other family counseling center?

Every one of our family psychologists has a doctoral degree, which means they have gone through thousands of hours of advanced training and supervision. This clinical expertise empowers them to provide the highest quality of care.  Our family psychologists have a great deal of specialized training in family therapy.

How do I know you can help with my family’s specific issue(s)?

By the time they talk to us, many parents are exasperated. Some have already seen multiple therapists without success, leaving them feeling exhausted and at the end of their rope. Until we begin working with your family, we won’t know what approach might work or how long the process may take. But we assure you that we will do everything in our power to help. If we feel that we aren’t the best fit for your family, we will offer you a referral to someone who can help!

Give Your Family The Key To Success

If you’re still not sure if Groupworks can provide the support your family needs, please contact us  to learn more about our family counseling services. We have a reputation for success with even the most complex cases, and we don’t shy away from a challenge. We’re looking forward to working with you!