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When a loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it affects the entire family. It’s harrowing to watch a family member constantly put their health and life at risk, and the regular arguing and emotional challenges are frustrating and draining. Family therapy, which Elevare offers as part of our addiction treatment programming, is critical to repair the emotional wounds of addiction and develop more productive, respectful ways of communicating with each other.
What Is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a type of psychological treatment that focuses on the relationships and dynamics within a family unit. This form of therapy involves working with all members of a family to address issues such as communication problems, conflicts, and emotional distress.
The goal of family therapy is to improve the overall functioning and well-being of the entire family. It recognizes that each individual in a family is interconnected and their behaviors and emotions can affect one another. By addressing these interactions and patterns within the family, therapists aim to create more effective communication and healthier relationships.
Types of Family Therapy
There are several family therapy models. Common ones include:
- Multidimensional family therapy – Frequently used to help recovering teenagers, multidimensional therapy helps adolescents build stable and robust identities. Parents and guardians receive help with communication, parent-child relationships, and setting boundaries and limits.
- Cognitive-behavioral family therapy – It draws on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles to address harmful behaviors and thought patterns in the family system. Family members learn to replace those negative patterns with positive actions that support their loved one’s sobriety.
- Structural family therapy – This therapy identifies and transforms unhelpful dynamics and “rules” in family dynamics. It places a strong emphasis on improving communication and setting boundaries.
By participating in therapy, family members can work together to create a more supportive and understanding environment for each person to navigate through life’s challenges.
What To Expect In Family Therapy
Our family therapists at Elevare will facilitate discussions and activities that allow each person to express their thoughts and feelings in a safe and non-judgmental environment. This can help to improve communication skills and increase understanding between family members.
In addition to addressing current issues, family therapy also aims to strengthen the overall family unit by improving problem-solving skills, promoting empathy and compassion, and building healthy boundaries. It can also provide families with tools for managing conflicts in the future, allowing them to work through challenges together rather than resorting to harmful behaviors.
Who Can Benefit From Family Therapy?
While family therapy at Elevare will primarily focus on the dynamics caused by addiction and mental health disorders, family therapy can benefit families experiencing various challenges, including but not limited to:
- Parent-child conflicts
- Blended families
- Divorce or separation
- Substance use disorder
- Mental health disorders, such as depression or anxiety
- Chronic illness or disability within a family member
- Grief and loss
- Traumatic experiences, such as abuse or violence within the family
- Communication issues and breakdown of relationships
- Financial struggles or stress
Family therapy addresses the different challenges that families face by providing a safe and supportive environment for all members to express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns. It aims to improve communication, promote understanding and empathy, and develop healthy coping mechanisms as a family unit.
What Is Family Addiction Counseling Like?
If you’ve never been in counseling before, you may feel apprehensive about attending family therapy with your loved one who is in treatment for addiction. Many people have fears of being blamed or having to reveal more than they want. The truth is, family addiction counseling is as much for you as your loved one. A family therapist can help you express how your loved one’s addiction has impacted your life. They’ll help you sort through any anger, guilt, sadness, or grief you’re feeling.
Family therapy in Elevare’s addiction treatment program typically includes:
- Addiction education – You’ll learn that addiction is a disease and why your loved one can’t “just quit.” You’ll also hear about the underlying reasons behind addiction, like mental health issues, trauma, and attachment styles.
- Conflict resolution – As the name implies, you’ll learn respectful, productive ways to resolve disagreements.
- Coping skills – Your family therapist will teach you new, healthy strategies to deal with stressful situations between family members.
- Codependency education – You’ll learn how you and other family members are enabling your addicted loved one, and how to change that.
- Family dynamics – Family members often fall into predictable roles, especially around addiction. You’ll learn to identify these roles and pay attention to any negative feelings and behaviors tied to them.
- Self-care – Taking care of yourself can fall by the wayside when you’re focused on an addicted loved one. You’ll learn about the importance of self-care and how it helps both you and your loved one.
Examples of Family Therapy for Addiction
Family therapy for addiction may take place in a variety of forms, such as:
- Group sessions at an Elevare facility with other clients and their own family members in addition to your family
- Private family therapy sessions involving only family members and a therapist
- Family addiction education sessions at our facility or online
We also recommend that families attend twelve-step groups for loved ones of people who struggle with addiction, such as Al-Anon. While these groups do not offer therapy, they do provide invaluable peer support from those going through similar challenges.
Who Can Attend Family Therapy?
There are no set rules about who should be involved in family addiction counseling and who shouldn’t. Traditionally, the immediate family attends, but “family” has lots of different meanings these days. In SAMHSA’s guide to family therapy for people with addiction, family is defined as “a group of two or more people with close and enduring emotional ties.” For this reason, family therapy sessions can include all members of the family, including parents, spouses, children, and even extended family members.
Talk with your family therapist at Elevare to determine who would benefit from attending your family therapy sessions.
Family Involvement in Treatment
At Elevare, family therapy is part of both residential and outpatient treatment. The type of programming offered varies but may include some or all of the following:
- Individual counseling sessions with family members
- Family therapy sessions with all participating family members
- Family education classes for loved ones, as well as family addiction counseling sessions
- Family addiction groups with loved ones of other clients
- Couple’s counseling
Benefits and Goals of Family Therapy
Keeping family relationships healthy takes work, especially when dealing with addiction.
Family addiction counseling helps people:
- Overcome resistance to change.
- Break down barriers of communication.
- Interact positively.
- Understand family strengths and use them to help everyone recover together.
- Address frustrations and strong feelings in a safe space in a way that doesn’t blame or shame.
Family therapy for substance use has multiple benefits, such as:
Setting Clear Treatment Goals
Families dealing with addiction are stressed. Emotions run high, and they probably have for a long time. It’s easy to lose sight of the main issue. Although the focus is on addiction, getting back to how it all started is crucial. Substance use is a symptom of a deeper problem. In family therapy, you’ll explore the root causes of substance use. You’ll identify collective and personal goals. Your family therapist will keep you on track to reaching those goals.
Improving Communication
Your family therapist will teach and model how to talk respectfully to each other. Just changing the language you use can go a long way toward getting your message across to your loved one.
Promoting Personal and Family Wellness
Addiction can cause you to sacrifice self-care and harbor emotional wounds. Family therapy is structured to address the needs of each family member. Some emotional needs may come about, such as the desire to accept, forgive, or to move on. As each family member builds their emotional wellness, the overall health of the family can improve.
Why Is Family Therapy Important?
You can help your loved one recover from substance use disorder by participating in family therapy. It’s a critical component of our comprehensive addiction treatment program for two major reasons:
- Family involvement in addiction treatment and recovery shows your loved one that you care for them and can help prevent relapse.
- Family therapy helps you rebuild trust and open the lines of communication. Addiction is a chronic brain disease, but it’s also been called a “family disease.” Without intervention, the effects of substance use disorder are progressive and spread to every aspect of the family system.
Addiction breaks down the family system and reveals vulnerabilities. It’s important to let our mental health professionals help you navigate the minefield created by addiction and repair your relationships. A family therapist will create a safe space for families and people struggling with addiction to have difficult conversations.
How to Make the Most of Family Therapy
Family therapy can be a turning point for your relationship with your addicted loved one, as well as other family members. It can be emotionally uncomfortable, but that’s where the work gets done. If you devote yourself to the process and open yourself to learning new ways of functioning as an individual and family, you can have more fulfilling relationships with your loved ones.
Prepare for family therapy by making a list of:
- The way your loved one’s addiction has impacted you
- What you’d like your relationship with your loved ones to look like
- Boundaries you’d like to set with your loved one
- What goals you’d like to accomplish in family therapy
These types of topics will naturally arise in family therapy, but gathering your thoughts about them ahead of time can give you a good starting point and help you communicate to the therapist what you’d like to focus on.
We recommend that the families of our clients also work with an individual therapist in their community. One-to-one therapy will help you further process the emotions that come up in family therapy. It can also help you determine what issues you should bring to family therapy or discuss issues you’re not yet ready to bring to those sessions.
Get Help Today
If your loved one is struggling with addiction, Elevare can help. We’re committed to supporting our clients as they heal from substance use disorder. True healing often involves their loved ones as well. Reach out today to see how we can help.
- The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: from theory to practice – PubMed
- Drug Misuse and Addiction | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy – NLM
- Family member involvement in relapse prevention improves alcohol dependence outcomes: a prospective study at an addiction treatment facility in India – PubMed
- FAMILY THERAPY CAN HELP: FOR PEOPLE IN RECOVERY FROM MENTAL ILLNESS OR ADDICTION – SAMHSA
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