Family therapy services in 30666: Statham, GA. Relationship and couples counseling.

Working with me, families learn better communication skills and new ways of interacting that interrupt negative cycles of behavior that they have fallen into. The goal is for each member of the family to feel heard and valued equally yet acknowledging the multiple unique roles each person plays (mother/wife/lover/employee, son/brother/student).

Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, every individual will only be as successful as the weakest part of their life. In this way, the relationship health within the family plays a key role in the happiness and success of each individual. Family therapy benefits each individual by improving interactions and relationships for everyone. This can be especially useful when facing depression, substance abuse, divorce, grief, chronic illness and even food issues or everyday issues such as communication, conflict or behavioral problems. Some emotional pain is as much a part of the family as a whole as it is to the individual and thus is best addressed in family therapy.

I have many parents that bring their child to me and in essence say "please fix my child". It usually involves the entire family working together to fix the problem that is showing, which is typically through the child. The child is really saying "please help me and my family" with their behavior. Family Systems Theory supports this belief and I have seen it work with people that are willing to make positive changes dozens and maybe even hundreds of times.

Family is where we garner meaning in our lives, as well as a sense of history. Family should contain our most satisfying and happy relationships, but often families are fraught with anger, worry, and sadness. Negative family patterns are often passed on to our own children as we raise them. Family therapy can help you identify these negative patterns and learn new ways of relating to our loved ones. In family therapy with me, you will learn how your negative behaviors came into being, how they affect others around you, and what you can do to change them, to create a newly crafted sense of family.

Family is like an ecosystem. Each part interacts with the other and each part plays a unique role. There are rules, whether explicit or implicit, that are to be followed. Not all these rules may be healthy. We grow up in a family, and most times, join another in our adult lives. What we were trained to do in our original family, and what others were trained to do in theirs, comes out in our present relationships. I work with families where they are. I consider all the above when teaming up with family. So I address the individuals, the group, the past and the present with an aim toward a healthier future.

There are many reasons that we engage Families in therapy. Sometimes there is 1) a specific problem to be solved (which school does the middle schooler attend next year?) or 2) a pattern to be changed (communication, family cohesion, playing together, etc.) or 3) a dynamic to be restructured (power dynamics in the family are off, someone is sick, behavior problems are hijacking the family) or 4) an issue to be processed (trauma, affairs, emotions, hurt, loss, etc.). Sometimes families need to learn a skill and other times they need someone to walk with them and help to mediate conflict and communication. We meet with families for short term needs as well as longer term solutions,

The family is the crucible from which we all emerge, for good and for bad. Family extends back generations, and we are influenced, one way or another, by everyone that came before us. We inherit genetic tendencies and traits, learn ways of acting, thinking, feeling and relating, and we grow our own unique self within a group of oddball people we call our family. We have a roll and function within this family, a roll that helps form our personality. Again, for good and for bad. Family therapy is about bringing into awareness the dynamic nature of the relationships in the family, and to make more conscious decisions about how to negotiate the multitude of issues.

Family therapy, is also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling. This can include marriage, premarital, individual and teen counseling. The skills of the family therapist include helping individuals, couples and families learn to communicate well, handle stress effectively, foster a spirit of teamwork, and find personal strength, wisdom and support. Call Sarah Bryan for an appointment. (770) 548-3034.