Why Family Therapy Can Help Your Teen

Let me tell you the good news. The good news is that mental health stigmas are slowly falling away little by little and therapy is becoming more common for people to seek out. The bad news is that it is common practice when a teen is struggling for parents to assume that kiddo needs individual therapy and will work everything out with the therapist.

Let’s clarify a couple of things. If we look at a child through a systemic lens we are able to recognize that children have five main systems in their lives. The first is the individual child in the middle of all the systems (imagine a dart board). The next circle around that small circle is the child’s family. The next circle around that is school. The following circle represents the child’s peer systems and the final circle would be community. All of these systems impact that child significantly but the closest system is the family. It would be ignorant for me to assume that my child is operating in a vacuum and that whatever struggles they are having will be fixed on their own in therapy when so much of a child’s life is impacted by family, friends, school and community.

The teenage years can be a tumultuous time filled with changes and challenges for both teens and parents. If your child is struggling, it’s not to say they won’t make any gains from seeing a therapist but imagine the leaps they could jump if you as a parent work on your relationship with them and join them in therapy?

Benefits of Family Therapy for Teens

1. Improves communication and understanding within the family.
   * Gives a safe space to express feelings, concerns without judgment.
   * Allows family members to better understand each other’s perspectives.
   * Teaches productive communication skills.
2. Addresses family dynamics and relationship patterns.
   * Looks at how family members relate to and influence each other.
   * Identifies unhealthy patterns that may be impacting the teen.
   * Works on building more positive interactions.
3. Provides support during major transitions.
   * Times like divorce, moving, loss of a loved one can be very difficult for teens.
   * Therapy helps the whole family cope and adjust.
4. Treats issues within the family context.
   * Problems like teen depression, anxiety, acting out are often tied to family relationships.
   * More effective to treat the entire system rather than just the individual.
5. Increases feelings of unity and connectedness.
   * The therapy process itself can bring families closer together.
   * Feeling understood and supported is vital for teens.

As you can see, the family can be a very influential force in a teen’s primary support system and can act as a great contributor to the treatment process. If your child seems like they would benefit from therapy, I would encourage you to consider a family therapy approach during these formative years. Teens already often feel alone and like nobody understands their challenges. The secret of family therapy is recognizing that a teen’s issues are interwoven with the family environment. It offers a holistic approach tailored for this distinct stage of life. We have a fantastic team of therapists at our practice Solace Counseling and if you are considering family therapy do not hesitate to reach out for some guidance to get going with this approach!