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  • 4 Ways Family Therapy Improves Your Relationship

    Some relationships form more easily than others. We tend to assume that familial relationships form naturally. While a natural bond may occur, relationships take time to build, especially in families.

    Whether your kids need help bonding, you’re trying to unify a blended family, or you need better communication skills, family therapy is a great resource. There’s almost always room for improvement in relationships, and families are no exception. By hearing each other out and learning how to set boundaries, therapy can help your family handle any fight, disagreement, or hardship that stands in the way — let’s look at some examples.

    1. Everyone Will Safely Air Their Emotions during Family Therapy

    Some people air their emotions openly, whereas others keep them bottled up. Understandably, a household can quickly become tense with this level of mixed emotions. Though you may try to solve issues as they arise, some family members may struggle with expressing their emotions in a healthy, productive way. 

    Family therapy offers a safe environment for everyone to talk about how they feel. If you have several children in your family, it will be especially helpful to allow each one to address their needs. When there are multiple kids in a household, it’s easy for one or more of them to feel overlooked by their siblings or parents. Family therapy will help ensure that everyone has a chance to express themselves. In return, it will lead to fewer fights at home and more closeness amongst siblings.

    2. Family Therapy Helps Set Boundaries

    Everyone has boundaries, even kids. Because family members tend to be close to one another, it’s sometimes hard to express boundaries out of fear of offending or upsetting someone. However, it’s important to establish personal boundaries in a family, and therapy can help you get there.

    By establishing and talking through your boundaries in therapy, each family member will be more aware of which lines they may have been crossing. We rarely know if we’re crossing someone’s boundary until they tell us. When everyone can express their boundaries, you’ll notice that there will be fewer hurt feelings and more respect in the household.

    3. Family Therapy Helps Improve Communication Skills

    Does it seem like arguments are often breaking out around your house? No matter how hard you try to curb bickering between your kids or spouse, it continues to crop up, leaving everyone feeling frustrated and tense.

    Communication issues are at the root of nearly every fight. While there may be understandable reasons behind why a fight starts, they escalate because one or both parties don’t know how to communicate effectively. Fortunately, family therapy can help instill some helpful communication skills in you, your spouse, and your kids. 

    We can’t expect kids to be perfect communicators — most adults aren’t even at that level! But we certainly can provide helpful skills to improve communication and lead to fewer disagreements. Not only will communication skills help in your household, but they’ll also help your kids as they grow, mature, and enter relationships of their own. 

    4. Family Therapy Will Help Foster a Sense of Mutual Respect

    Deep down, we all want to be respected by those we care about the most: our family members. Of course, we don’t always get the respect that we want and deserve. With the help of family therapy, your family will learn a valuable understanding of respect and how to express it. 

    When everyone in your household respects each other, there will be stronger bonds and a happier aura all-around. When members of your family understand one another on a more vulnerable level, you’ll all find it easier to earn and give respect. 

    There are many benefits to family therapy, and all of them will help improve your relationships with one another. If you’re looking for a way to connect your family, consider therapy to learn and grow together. 


     

    Learn more about our family therapy services in Corte Madera, CA