Family support and connection are crucial to successful addiction recovery and sobriety. Unfortunately, substance use and mental health issues can negatively affect home life, communication, and relationship dynamics. Similarly, dysfunctional relationships can affect addiction and mental health, often triggering or enabling substance use. A family therapy program is one way for family members to reconnect, address harmful behavior, and create lasting change that helps everyone thrive.
If your family struggles with mental health, substance use, or relationships, know you are not alone. A family therapy program for addiction recovery can help. At A Better State, we help families reconnect through our range of outpatient recovery programs. Call us now at 781.412.1488 to learn how our family therapy programs can help your family reconnect.
What Is Family Counseling for Addiction Recovery?
As the name implies, family therapy is group counseling for loved ones. Family therapy can serve conventional families, partners, children and parents, and roommates. While each therapy session is different and may use various therapy approaches, a certified family therapist balances the emotions and needs of multiple loved ones at once.
This might include role-playing and techniques to help family members feel seen and heard. This therapeutic approach places unique demands on the participants and the therapist, creating a safe, non-judgmental space for collective healing. Family therapy aims to help the family as a system, not individuals. This can help those feeling neglected and those dealing with recovery reconnect, release grudges and empathize more easily.
Common Goals of Family Counseling for Addiction Recovery
The goals of family therapy programs are based on each family’s needs and dynamics. If someone is struggling with mental health issues, their goals will differ from someone living with substance use. Some goals of family therapy programs include:
- Establish boundaries
- Develop coping strategies
- Relapse prevention strategies
- Learn to spot the signs of mood disorders
- Redefine roles in relationships
- Addressing dysfunction
- Become better listeners
- Developing empathy
- Understand mental health issues
- Learning to express emotions safely
- Learning active listening
- Learning to self-advocate
Family therapy programs help loved ones express needs and feelings without judgment or risk of repercussions. The safe space of a family counseling program can help loved ones open up and better understand their own needs as well as the needs of others. They’re also an excellent way for families to work together towards long-term goals in recovery and beyond.
Learn How Family Therapy Can Help
Today, at least half of people with addiction struggle with co-occurring mental health issues. Undiagnosed co-occurring disorders can strain family relationships and often lead to substance use. They can also make it hard for family members to understand each other’s experiences. Family therapy can offer everyone the support they need to grow, change, and thrive together.
If you and your loved ones are ready to make lasting change together, A Better State can help. Our range of intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) and partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) offer support to clients across the New Hampshire area to recover together. With evidence-based and alternative therapies, families at a Better State get the help they need without compromising their schedules. Whether you’re looking for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), yoga, or art therapy, A Better State has therapeutic programs. We have a family therapy program that fits your busy schedule with daytime and evening programs.
Discover Your Family’s Goals for Family Therapy at A Better State
Learning about the goals of family therapy is essential in determining the best course of action for your family. At A Better State, we want to help you discover what those goals may be and how family therapy can help your family reach them. Every family is different, and so are their goals for treatment. Some families may seek therapy to improve communication and resolve conflict. Others may want to work on strengthening relationships or developing new coping skills.
Whatever your family’s goals, our experienced therapists will work with you to create a customized treatment plan to help your family reach its full potential. If you’re ready to learn more about the benefits of family therapy for you and your loved ones, call us today. Contact our team at 781.412.1488 to learn more about the programs and benefits of dual diagnosis outpatient treatment at A Better State.
