With Christian viewpoints you can trust, we can assist you in bringing healing and restoration to your family. Call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to make an appointment with Focus on the Family's Counseling Department, or fill out our Counseling Consultation Request Form. Our staff members will help guide you through this difficult time.
In addition to our weekly counseling services, there are various other resources available to you as a family during times of crisis. These include 24-hour hotlines that provide emotional support and practical advice for families dealing with depression, addiction, divorce, violence, and more; online forums where you can share your experiences and find support from others going through similar struggles; and articles by licensed therapists who address issues such as "how to talk to children about depression" and "parenting after loss."
Focus on the Family was founded in 1977 by James C. Dobson, who is currently president of the organization. The non-profit organization has 10 regional offices across the United States and Canada, as well as one international office located in Singapore.
Their mission is to engage, educate, and empower parents to raise healthy children by providing quality information and resources related to marriage, family life, social issues, and child development.
Family Counseling Do's and Don'ts
If you believe it would be good to consult a mental health specialist with your entire family present, you should consider family counseling. For example, if a family member suffers from a mental health illness such as an eating disorder, you might go to family therapy to help them. You might also want to consider family counseling if you're having problems in your relationship and want to learn how to communicate better.
Family counseling can be very helpful for people who struggle with emotional or behavioral issues. It may also help those who don't suffer from mental health problems but would like to understand those who do. In addition, going to family counseling may help you deal with issues in your own life by providing a safe environment to express yourself openly.
The best time to start family counseling is when things are still relatively calm. This will allow everyone to feel comfortable sharing their feelings without worrying about upsetting events such as job losses or breakups happening just before sessions begin.
It's important to find a family counselor who can help not only those who are struggling with mental health issues but everyone involved in the family dynamic too. For example, if someone in the family has anxiety around dogs, then a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) could help them learn ways to cope more effectively with this fear.
Online family counseling allows you to express yourself and discuss your feelings with your family members. The family counselor will back you up since he or she wants your perspective to be validated. Just because you disagree with your family doesn't imply your feelings aren't genuine. The family counselor is there to represent you. He or she does not judge you nor do they want you to feel guilty about something you have no control over.
Free websites such as www.webcounseling.com provide counseling services for families. You must be a citizen of the United States and be 18 years old to use these sites. Other requirements include having an email address and computer access. You will need to create an account by providing personal information including name, age, location, and email address. After you create an account, you will receive communication from the website regarding your appointment time. You will then have one week to schedule an appointment with another user. As long as you show up for your session, you will not be charged even if you miss some sessions.
Family counselors help you deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, abuse, infidelity, addiction, and many more. They will give you tools to help you improve your relationship with your spouse or partner and also with your children.
Counseling is beneficial for any family, whether it is two parents with their adult children or two spouses with their dependent children.
Individuals and families are frequently unaware of the obstacles that keep them from receiving counseling. These are the same ones that can have an impact on a family's capacity to adapt to change, communicate, prevent a crisis, or cope with a catastrophic occurrence. Awareness of these barriers can help clinicians identify and address any issues that may be preventing patients from receiving appropriate treatment.
Some families simply don't know about counseling services. If a family doesn't understand what counseling is or why it might benefit them, they won't go looking for information. A lack of awareness of counseling services exists across society. Research shows that less than 20% of individuals in need of mental health care actually receive it (National Institute of Mental Health).
Another reason many families don't seek counseling is because they believe they can handle a problem themselves. They may want to think things through by themselves, ask friends for advice, or search for solutions on the Internet. However, this approach can lead to an inability to recognize dangerous signs of distress or take immediate action when needed. For example, if a family member becomes suicidal, they will likely want to talk them out of it, but wouldn't know how to do so effectively without outside assistance.
Still other families may feel like they don't deserve counseling. They may believe that their problems are too big or complex for a single session to solve or that they can't afford it.
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