Mental health counseling can be a wonderful way to reconnect with family members and strengthen relationships. It can also help you learn more about mental illness and how best to support your loved ones during this difficult time.
Many treatment facilities offer family therapy sessions, education programs, and more for patients’ families. Here are a few reasons why getting this type of help is crucial for the entire family:
Better Communication
As with any mental health treatment, communication is crucial. This is particularly true for family members of patients seeking psychiatric care. A therapist can teach everyone how to communicate better, which helps prevent misunderstandings and improves relationships.
A therapist skilled in family therapy will be able to help families understand their loved one’s mental illness and how to deal with challenges that arise. They may also offer education programs for family members, called psychoeducation, to teach them coping skills and ways to strengthen their relationship with their loved ones.
Seeing a psychiatrist can help you clarify your symptoms, leading to the right diagnosis and specific treatment plan. A good place to start looking for a mental health therapist is with your doctor or other family psychiatric services. You can ask for recommendations or check online to see which licensed professionals are in your area. Ask about their educational background and training, including whether they qualify for marriage and family therapy.
Better Understanding of Mental Illness
The entire family can participate in psychoeducation, a form of therapy that helps patients and their families better understand mental illness. This includes knowledge of symptoms, causes, treatment options and prognosis (outlook).
In addition, the psychiatric team can provide information about the physical health effects of mental illness. This may include the impact on hormones and sleep cycles or how psychiatric medications can cause weight gain or irregular heart rhythms.
A good understanding of mental health can help family members avoid stigma related to the patient’s condition and encourage them to seek care. Studies have found that patients with family support are more likely to stay engaged in treatment and experience positive outcomes. This is why it’s so important for people to have a trusted support system and be open with their therapist about their struggles. This can lead to a more successful psychiatric treatment plan.
Be Better able to Provide Support.
While it’s a bit of an exaggeration to say that the number of people in need of mental health care is increasing faster than the number of psychiatrists available, the truth is that there is a shortage. Fortunately, many therapists have started offering services via telemedicine.
Psychiatrists can also help their patients’ families by providing family psychoeducation. It is effective in reducing relapse rates and easing the burden on carers.
If you think a loved one needs psychiatric help, encourage them to seek it out. You could even offer to accompany them to a meet-and-greet with a new therapist or counselor. That way, you can ask about their approach and make sure they are qualified to provide counseling for family mental health issues. You should also ask about the possibility of online or home-based sessions if those options are more comfortable for your loved one. BetterHelp is an example of an online service offering various options for family counseling.
Better Mental Health for Everyone
For people who have psychiatric conditions, their family dynamics play an important role in how they develop and manage them. Dysfunctional family relationships can precipitate or perpetuate factors, while positive family systems offer Support and protection. Both types of family relationships are explored during family therapy sessions.
Being involved in your loved one’s treatment program improves mental health for everyone. You will learn how to communicate better, practice healthy coping mechanisms, and build connections with each other that are stronger and more supportive. Your participation may also lead to fewer hospitalizations for your loved one.
In addition to attending therapy sessions, your family can take advantage of educational programming provided by many psychiatric facilities. Many of these programs are called psychoeducation and can help you understand your loved one’s condition, how it affects them, and ways you can be more helpful to them. Many facilities also have less formal family days or visiting hours to provide a relaxing environment for your family members.