You may have heard the phrase, “Addiction is a family disease.” This saying holds some truth, as the impact of addiction extends far beyond the person struggling, affecting their loved ones in profound ways. Families are torn apart for several reasons—including loss of trust, eroded communications, and the chronic stress and worry that family members live with. For families like this, the benefits of family therapy are numerous. This form of therapy is often an essential aspect of addiction treatment. It seeks to heal the family’s wounds and establish strong relationships that can sustain everyone and support the person in recovery.
At The Right Step Houston, we understand the complicated dynamics of families, especially when addiction and mental health issues arise, and are here to help. If you think you and your loved ones would benefit from family counseling, contact our compassionate team to get started.
What Is Family Therapy?
As the name implies, family therapy is therapy with a professional clinician that involves the person in recovery and their closest family members. Whether you’re in recovery or a family member of someone who’s trying to get sober, family therapy can be a game changer for everyone.
In family therapy, the family meets with a therapist for several hour-long sessions focusing on addiction education, building trust, improving communication, and more.
What To Expect From Family Therapy
In family therapy, every voice is equally important. The therapist moderates sessions to hear everyone, maintain respect, and foster healing. You can expect to:
- Work on communication skills – The healthy guidelines for family communications include listening with empathy, remaining open, and sharing honestly.
- Foster compassion – Through better communication, family members will develop empathy and understanding for one another’s experiences—those of the person with an SUD and the family that’s been affected.
- Re-establish trust – Trust is almost always damaged by addiction within a family. Open sharing and compassionate listening can regain it.
- Collaborate in problem-solving – In place of reactive emotions, partnering to find pathways to healing becomes possible in family therapy.
- Learn to manage emotions – The fear, mistrust, worry, and eroded relationships in a family dealing with addiction often result in highly activated emotions that impede healthy connections. In family therapy, everyone will practice emotional regulation to connect in healthy ways with one another.
- Set boundaries – Family relationships are often co-dependent when someone has an addiction. This dynamic can be addressed in many ways during family therapy, including by learning to set healthy boundaries that prevent feelings of guilt or responsibility while providing space for support, love, and empathy.
Family therapy offers wide-reaching benefits for everyone in your close circle. While family therapy may not suit every situation, most experts widely regard it as an essential element of addiction recovery.
Benefits of Family Counseling
Family therapy fosters progress quickly by creating a safe setting with established guidelines for mutual respect. You’ll experience some of the benefits of family counseling listed below:
- Solving family problems that once seemed intractable
- Learning how to communicate for growth instead of remaining entrenched in old patterns
- Understanding the dynamics that have ruled family relationships till this point
- Reaching new levels of family closeness and bonding
- Easing or eliminating family conflict
Family therapy benefits the entire family, even if it starts because one member has a substance use disorder (SUD). The healing you experience can transform the family’s healthy dynamic into the future.
Connect With The Right Step Houston to Get Started on Addiction Treatment with Family Therapy
At The Right Step Houston, our staff provides evidence-based, trauma-informed therapy for individuals and families. One of the goals of addiction rehab is that recovery be lasting. For that to happen, it’s often best for the entire family to engage in the process—for the sake of everyone.
You shape your future. You can achieve your recovery goals and go beyond your current quality of life with supportive, compassionate treatment. Contact us by calling 1.844.768.0169 or filling out our online form.