Whatever hardship comes your way in life, you can take comfort in the fact that family is always there. However, that doesn’t mean that your family won’t have internal issues to work out too. If you’re wondering whether you could benefit from family counseling sessions, and what they would entail, consider the list below.

3 Circumstances Where Family Counseling Can Help

1. Divorce

In one version of a typical family, the parents represent the head of the household and work as a team to raise and discipline their children. When they decide to get a divorce, this shift in household dynamics can threaten stability. Luckily, family counseling techniques, like Bowenian therapy, can help. In this setup, only one or a few members of the family meet with the therapist at a time, so they can express their emotions in private and learn to become less reactive to issues at home. This is especially helpful if some members of the family are more distressed about the situation than others or aren’t ready to bring their emotions to the table.

2. Disciplinary Issues

If your child is getting in trouble for instigating fights at school or displaying behavioral issues at home, structural family counseling may help. Here, the therapist’s goal is to strengthen the “structure” of the family unit, ensuring the parents are in charge and that the children are responsive to their power. To do this, they’ll meet with the entire family to get to know the dynamics from the inside, playing mediator between parents and siblings.

3. Death of a Family Member

After an extreme loss, such as the death of an immediate family member, family counseling is crucial to the healing process. Some therapist might use the systemic model, taking a neutral role and encouraging the family members to work through their grief with each other. They might also use the strategic approach, which invites the family to conduct at-home assignments. For example, they might be instructed to discuss their favorite memories with their lost loved one and find ways to honor those experiences in the present. 

If your family is going through one of these issues, reach out to Winona Counseling Clinic, Inc. to set up an appointment. This family counseling center has been helping patients find peace since 1987. Whether you’re dealing with communication setbacks, financial hardships, or addiction, they will help you put your mental health first. For more information on this trusted clinic in Winona, MN, visit the website. You can also call (507) 454-3900 to schedule an appointment for family counseling.