Benefits Of Family Therapy Online Family Therapy
Benefits Of Family Therapy Online
Whether your family experiences constant bickering or just the occasional disagreement, family therapy is an incredible tool for improving your family dynamic. The primary challenge of family therapy is arranging for everyone to be together at the same time for counseling services. However, with online family therapy, you can all be in different places and still communicate with each other and with an online therapist at the same time. All you need is an internet connection and a private space where you feel comfortable chatting. With an online platform, there’s no need to worry about traffic or bad weather since your therapy session can take place from the comfort of your home. Plus, with the rising increase in online therapy, it is more likely your health insurance covers it nowadays. In fact, online family therapists have been shown to be more effective than in-person family therapists.
According to the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors, 57 percent of families that used online therapy programs were successful, compared to 42 percent of those who engaged in traditional face-to-face counseling.
Benefits Of Online Family Therapy
If you and your family are already experiencing difficulties in your relationships, even trying to arrange group therapy sessions might feel like an insurmountable challenge. Family members of different ages and different stages in life may feel additional frustration with each other in trying to find a therapy schedule that works for everyone, let alone a physical location. Furthermore, if a member of a family is dealing with mental health conditions like social anxiety or borderline personality disorder, the act of getting to in-person counseling sessions may be even more challenging and stress-inducing.
Online therapy and teletherapy make booking appointments easier and more flexible for everyone. There is no need for you to rearrange your schedule to make an appointment at a time that probably won't work for most of your family. You can also forget about driving to an in-person clinical practice across town. Video chats and conferencing allow you and your family members to participate more easily and equitably, and the conversation can expand to include even family members who are geographically distant. Plus, you will be speaking from a place where you likely feel comfortable, especially if you're calling in from home.
What Kinds Of Issues Does Online Family Therapy Treat?
During family therapy sessions, a mental health care professional can address any type of problem or concern in your family and offer family support in a number of ways. Some of the most common include:
Communication: Especially for families that have adolescent members or broad political differences, generational divides and divergent perspectives can be difficult to talk through constructively. Family therapy can give everyone an opportunity to feel heard, with an expert to help establish healthy boundaries and guide the conversation.
Substance use disorder (previously known as substance abuse): Alongside the physical and mental impacts that substance use disorder (previously referred to as substance abuse) can have on an individual, their family members and other loved ones can experience distress as a result of alcohol or substance use disorder. Online therapy services can provide the space to unpack these issues, while offering psychiatric services for the family member struggling with addiction.
Blended family issues: Bringing together two families through remarriage has the potential to enrich everyone’s lives, but it also can stir up feelings of grief, resentment, or jealousy as step siblings and stepparents learn to combine their lives which may benefit from the support of a licensed marriage and family therapist. Talking through these issues at family therapy sessions can help. Marriage and family therapy can bridge the divide as family members seek to come together.
Abuse of any kind: Whether emotional, neglectful, financial, or physical, abuse must be brought into the light and fully addressed before any parties can begin to move on. Licensed professional counselors can make all the difference in directing these conversations within a safe space, and online therapy provides a distance that might be necessary. A therapist can provide individual support to the recipient/s of abuse and recommend courses of action for future safety and wellness. In addition, these virtual therapy sessions make it easy for other professionals– such as licensed clinical social workers– to be involved as necessary.
Traumatic events like death or divorce: Any kind of loss to a family can be felt by all of its members in different ways. Online therapy can give each person the space to grieve in their own way, while also helping the family to move forward as a caring, compassionate team with deep family relationships.
Behavioral issues: Some children and adolescents need additional support to move through behavioral issues—at home, at school, and/or in other environments—and the adults in the family might also benefit from the support of mental health professionals in navigating those difficulties with mental health issues. Some behavioral health issues may require medication management services, and a therapist can refer families to the right healthcare professionals for professional medical advice.
Infidelity: If one partner is unfaithful to the other in any sense (sexual or emotional affairs, financial dishonesty, etc.), then trust needs to be repaired before the partners can make a mutual decision about what’s best. Online couples therapy can support each party through the necessary discussions, even if one or both partners are no longer comfortable being in the same location.
What Kinds Of Counseling Techniques Can Be Done Online?
Techniques that work for traditional, in-person counseling can also be used with equal success through online therapy services. You can connect to a caring provider without having to travel to the therapist’s office. In addition, online counselors through various platforms are usually available through text messaging, online chats, phone and video calls, and interactive content. Thanks to this connectivity, online professional counselors are able to provide mental health care for both acute and continuing family issues in a virtual group therapy setting.
How Can It Benefit My Family?
An online therapy service can work for any subject, just like conventional counseling, but there is usually less confrontation when you meet online. When you are not actually in the room with other people, it can be easier to open up and speak your mind.
No matter what issues your family may be experiencing (and every family has some), the best online family counseling can help you sort them out. Maybe you feel like your family has grown apart, or you have lost a loved one. Regardless of the situation, online counseling can help, especially if it is a sensitive issue that could be too intense to discuss if everyone is in the same space.
