Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy aimed at helping family members resolve conflict, improve communication, and better their overall relationships by identifying and addressing emotional, psychological, and behavioral problems. Individuals struggling with a mental health disorder often feel isolated and fight their battle alone. However, mental health disorders do not occur in a vacuum. The entire family feels the impacts of your teen’s mental health or behavioral issues. Experts agree that family members play a critical role in the recovery process and that every member who can participate should.
At Imagine Spokane, we understand the importance of family participation for long-term recovery. Our family therapy program helps your teen and family members heal and rebuild damaged relationships. To learn more about the critical role of family therapy, contact us at 888.384.3143.
The Relationship Between Depression and Family
Depression is a complex mental health disorder that impacts teens in various ways, depending on their level of depression and their unique makeup and circumstances. A teen’s depression heavily affects family members. Depression is not easy to spot if you are not familiar with the signs and symptoms. In teens, the symptoms of depression often show up in subtle ways that can be easily confused with typical teen behavior, such as:
- Unwashed clothes
- A lack of attention to personal hygiene
- Erratic sleep patterns
- A messy room
- Skipping meals
- Withdrawing from family members and activities
- Mood swings and angry outbursts
When a teen suffers from depression, parents can struggle to navigate the situation, especially if other children are in the home. Parents may grapple with balancing their daily responsibilities, worrying about the depressed child, and ensuring the other children do not feel neglected. This balancing act can result in stress, anger, frustration, guilt, and family conflict.
The Benefits of Family Therapy for Relationships
Most family therapists approach treatment based on the family systems model, which believes that a family is an interconnected unit and that each member affects how the system functions. In other words, changes in one family member influence changes in the rest of the family, both individually and as a unit.
Family therapy is used in various mental health treatment settings, including Imagine Spokane. The term “family” is not limited to blood relatives or those who share a home but includes anyone who plays a significant role in a teen’s life. Mental health disorders often lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. A critical benefit of family therapy is that everyone can see that they are not alone. Support from loved ones promotes successful recovery.
The specific benefits of family therapy are unique to each situation, but expected benefits can include:
- Improved communication
- Development of healthy boundaries
- Recognizing and improving family dynamics
- Addressing dysfunctional roles
- Improving coping skills and problem-solving strategies
- Rebuilding trust
- Learning to share feelings in healthy ways
Through family therapy at Imagine Spokane, your family will also be able to identify and build upon the strengths of the family unit as a whole and its members. You and your loved ones will have a safe and supportive space to explore and discuss the impacts of mental health disorders like depression.
Imagine Spokane: Family Therapy for Rebuilding Relationships
At Imagine Spokane, we provide comprehensive outpatient treatment for teens through our partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP). We know the importance of family healing to successful recovery from mental health disorders, including depression. Along with family therapy, we offer:
- Comprehensive psychological assessment
- Twice weekly sessions with our psychiatrist
- On-site nursing care
- Individual and group therapy
- Crisis intervention for teens with suicidal or homicidal thoughts
- Individualized care
- Treatment using evidence-based therapies
Recovery is hindered when family members do not seek treatment for their dysfunctional behaviors. Family therapy provides the whole family with education about mental health disorders and helps support members in replacing maladaptive behaviors with healthy ones. To learn more about the benefits of our family therapy program, contact us at 888.384.3143.