Our families are the very first community that we’re a part of. It is within our families that our sense of self, values, beliefs, and deepest convictions are formed. The love, nurture, and safety we find in our family enable us to flourish and be the person God intended us to be. Family can also be the place where our oldest and most enduring hurts are located, and family doesn’t always feel safe.

Sometimes, a family can go through a rough patch that tests their bonds and leaves them feeling disconnected. At other times, one family member has challenges, and when one person hurts, everyone in the family is affected. If your family life is strained or unfulfilling, help is available in the form of family counseling.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(424) 438-2888

Will My Concerns Be Addressed in Family Counseling?

Family counseling is a form of talk therapy that addresses a wide variety of concerns that affect different kinds of families. A sampling of the concerns that family counseling addresses include the following:

  • Conflicting parenting styles
  • Difficulties with communicating or expressing emotions
  • Sibling conflict
  • Conflict between parents and children
  • Marital problems such as a lack of intimacy or infidelity
  • Grief and loss
  • Blended family concerns
  • Cultivating healthy relationships and constructive co-parenting strategies after a divorce
  • Adapting to major life changes like a new baby
  • Dealing with illness in the family
  • Substance abuse and addictions
  • Roles in the family
  • Depression and mood disorders, and anxiety disorders

While family counseling won’t automatically resolve family conflicts or make unpleasant situations go away, it can help foster togetherness, understanding, and compassion between you and your family members, and it can provide you with the skills to cope with difficult situations more effectively. That can make all the difference in the world.

Family counseling is often short-term and done over 12 sessions, though your treatment plan will depend on your family’s unique situation. Sessions are typically between 50 minutes to an hour. In your sessions, your counselor may include all family members or those who are able or willing to participate. Your counselor may give you and your family exercises to do outside of the sessions to practice what you’re learning.

Your counselor will talk with family members, asking questions and creating space for dialogue to occur. These questions and the conversation it generates do several things, such as:

  • Create room to explore roles within the family, and identify rules and behavior patterns within the family that may contribute to conflict within the family
  • Help to assess your family’s ability to resolve issues and articulate thoughts and emotions constructively
  • Identify your family’s strengths, such as being invested in each other lives, and weaknesses, such as struggling to express your emotions, and they can indicate ways to begin working through these issues

The goal is to help families improve their communication, be able to resolve conflicts well, deepen family connection and the sense of togetherness even in stressful times, and help the family cope with difficult circumstances. Family counseling also aims to help the members of a family understand each other and to be a constructive part of each other’s lives.

Even though a family needs it, they may shy away from seeking help through family counseling for several reasons, including:

  • Not wanting to acknowledge that there’s anything wrong, or that it’s bad enough to need help
  • Feelings of shame and worry about the stigma of seeking help
  • Fear of digging up and exploring past hurts
  • Fear that the conversations that occur during sessions won’t remain confidential
  • Concerns about the cost of treatment and its impact on the family budget

These concerns are real, but they ought not to hinder you from seeking help. If left to fester, situations will often get worse, and it’s harder to resolve them the longer they go on. Explore the options available to you and ask a counselor questions to address your concerns.

Going for counseling requires some intentionality because it is a time, financial, and emotional commitment. A great place to start is to ask your friends or extended family for a referral. Also, if you desire an approach that is based on a Christian faith perspective, you should enquire about your prospective counselor’s treatment style and approach.

It is also wise to consider where your counselor is located, and if you and your family can get there easily. Online counseling is also available in some instances. Lastly, consider the financial aspects, such as finding low-cost options, or whether your insurance covers counseling.

Conclusion

Family is one of the blessings that God has given us. If you want to find a Christian counselor in the Loma Linda area, consider Loma Linda Christian Counseling. Through the use of effective counseling techniques rooted in a Christian faith-based outlook, the counselors at Loma Linda Christian Counseling can help your family flourish. To begin rebuilding and strengthening your family, please contact us for a risk-free trial session.

Get connected with a Christian Counselor
Please contact our reception team at
(424) 438-2888