Several factors make participating in a family therapy program a successful strategy for addiction recovery. Family therapy helps people suffering from addiction and their families regain trust in each other. It provides the opportunity for people in recovery to bond with their children and other family members during this challenging time.
If you are interested in learning more about how family therapy can support the recovery process, our team of therapists can help. Reach out to A Better State today at 781.412.1488.
What Is Family Therapy?
Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it can take a village to heal a person. Family therapy can be an excellent tool for those working through the recovery process and their partners and loved ones.
Family therapy is a social intervention that involves patients, family members, and friends in a discussion and support group. It can be a part of primary care supporting people recovering from addiction. In addition to supporting the person in recovery, family therapy provides a structured and positive environment to restore trust and communication in a familial relationship.
The goal of family therapy is to provide patients with a better understanding of their addiction and examine their problem’s roots. It can also promote recovery and help patients understand what they need to do to improve their lifestyles.
For some people, family therapy provides the best chance for success in treatment because it can show them how to improve their patterns by learning from past mistakes. For others, family therapy helps patients find new ways to cope with their problems and find new ways to become healthy once again.
Family therapy helps family members address their thoughts and feelings about substance use. The therapeutic relationship bonds a family together, so family members often feel more comfortable discussing their own experiences while they work on addressing their loved one’s addiction as well. Once the family collectively acknowledges that substance use affects all family members, they can begin to learn how to support each other through this difficult time.
Therapy helps family members reconnect with positive aspects of their lives that they otherwise might have forgotten or repressed.
Benefits of Family Therapy in Addiction Recovery
Family therapy can play a significant role in the recovery process of individuals and families that find themselves in drug abuse or substance use disorder.
Some key benefits of family therapy include:
- Structured time for each family member to express their thoughts, feelings, and desires
- Gaining an outside perspective helps identify and solve conflicts
- Guided conversation prevents old coping mechanisms from hijacking the discussion
- Understand the challenges that family members are facing
- Received the support of a licensed mental health professional
- Finding effective ways to deal with challenges together
- Learning healthy communication skills
- Improving overall well-being and vitality of the recovery process
Family therapy works best when it is personalized for each family member since everyone deals with some form of addiction differently. The therapist will work on helping each family member identify which aspects of their lives have been affected by their addiction or substance use disorder and offer suggestions on improving these areas, both individually and collectively. Then, they take steps toward recovery by addressing the issues facing them all simultaneously.
Contact A Better State Today to Find a Family Therapy Program For You
For many people, recovering and healing from addiction involves exploring, repairing, and building up family relationships. Contact us here 781.412.1488 if you are ready to enroll in family therapy or curious to learn more about options. At A Better State, our licensed mental health professionals specialize in treating addiction and helping families heal together.
