Family Counseling

Christian family counseling is useful for a number of reasons. Generally speaking, if you are experiencing unresolved conflict within your family, or if you are experiencing or anticipate a life change that effect your family, then Christian counseling for families can be very beneficial.

Some common reasons for Christian family counseling include:

• Conflict between the parents.
• A child or teen has behavior problems or issues in school.
• Conflict between siblings.
• One family member has a mental illness or substance abuse problem.
• The family is experiencing a difficult transition, such as moving or career changes.
• Resolving issues within blended families.
• Issues involving the family’s spiritual development.
• Helping adults who grew up in dysfunctional families.

What Christian Family Counseling Can Do for You

Christian family counseling looks closely at the family unit. Strengths within your family are nurtured, areas of weakness are explored, and solutions are offered so you can work towards thriving in a healthy, Christ-centered family environment. Family counselors are experienced in resolving dysfunctional situations by offering solutions that fit the needs of every family member. The thoughts and emotions of every family member are important, and each person is allowed to voice his/her opinions and feelings openly. Through Christian counseling, your family can find hope. You can heal damage from the past, overcome obstacles, and build loving, fulfilling relationships so your family can function as God intended.

What to Expect During Christian Family Counseling

We all want to have loving relationships with our family members and maintain a peaceful atmosphere. Meeting the needs of everyone is challenging. When the family dynamic is riddled with conflict and emotional chaos, effective communication becomes difficult and problems within the family can seem impossible to resolve. A Christian family counselor can act as an unbiased mediator, who can help restore communication, respect, and trust within your family. What to expect during counseling depends on the unique needs of your family, and the approach of your Christian counselor.

Your purpose and goals for family Christian counseling depends on the current needs and struggles facing your family. One thing that stays consistent is your Christian family counselor views your family as a single unit which needs healing. If one person in the family is experiencing difficulty, it has an effect on every family member in some way. Whatever struggles your family is going through, there are some goals that remain rather constant within Christian family counseling such as:

• Developing better communication and understanding between family members.
• Rebuilding trust and emotional bonds.
• Building better relationships between family members.
• Improving relationships between multiple families or extended family.

Family Christian Counseling for Children and Teens

As parents, you want the very best for your children. When you see them struggling with difficult issues or exhibiting alarming behavior, it’s natural to feel concerned. A Christian family counselor will encourage communication with your children, determine the cause for their trouble, and offer solutions for the whole family.

Can Your Child or Teen Benefit From Counseling?

Christian family counseling for children and teens can be very beneficial in helping families overcome a variety of issues such as trauma, behavior problems, social problems, educational problems, family conflict, and emotional disorders. Your counselor will work with your child as part of the family unit to determine the cause of their problems, and how other members of the family impact those issues. Through Christian family counseling, you can work together with your children to address areas of concern, promote communication within the family, and work towards healing, peace, and happiness. Should your child require individualized attention, your counselor might recommend Christian counseling for children, or Christian counseling for teens.

Relationship Dynamics Between Parents

The way in which married couples interact has a strong effect on their relationship and on the well being of their children. Conflict between you and your spouse can make it difficult or impossible to maintain peace within your household and can impact your ability to parent as well as you’d like to. The way you and your spouse interact also lays a groundwork for the kinds of relationships your children will form as adults. Exploring how you and your spouse were affected by your own parents, and which issues have carried over into your marriage, can help you end harmful patterns.

The best way to help your children seek and develop healthy relationships is to show them how marriage should be by cultivating a loving, nurturing relationship with each other. If you are experiencing difficulties within your marriage, you could benefit from attending marriage counseling, but if you want to discuss how your marriage affects your family as a whole, then family counseling might be the better option.

Dynamics Between Parents and Children

Few things are more troubling for a parent than feeling isolated from their child or watching their behavior spin out of control. Conversely, children who feel unsupported, unloved, or over-pressured by their parents can experience a variety of emotional and social issues. Today, there are many factors that contribute to problems between parents and their children. One of the leading causes for complication surrounds the split-family dynamic.

In the United States, we are showing a constant decline in the percentage of babies born within marriage and an increase in divorce. From the 1970s to the 2010s, the percentage of children in two-parent families in the USA decreased from 85% to 69%. Combined with social, educational, and discipline problems, children are experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Working through issues as a family, and doing all you can to keep your family intact is one of the best things you can do for your children and your relationship with them. If you feel you’ve done all you can but are still disconnected from your children, or if you have concerns about your child’s behavior and how they interact within the family, your Christian family counselor will discover the reasons behind their actions, allow them to express their feelings and concerns, and help you and your partner become the parents you want to be.

Dynamics Between Nuclear and Extended Families

Maintaining a peaceful, and happy household is one of the most important things you can do for your family, especially your immediate (nuclear) family which includes parents and their children. Sometimes extended family members such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can cause issues for your immediate family, resulting in conflict which can destroy the peace in your home. Even well-meaning family members can be bothersome if they intrude into the personal issues within your immediate family or create demands that are unreasonable.

Sometimes adults have unresolved issues with their own parents, which cause a variety of problems, such as feeling hesitant to allow a grandparent/grandchild relationship because of lacking trust or past abuse and neglect. Ideally, you want a large, happy family, and to keep peace with those you love. Christian family counseling will show you how to communicate with your extended family members in an effective way, address matters of contention caused by extended family that affect your immediate family, and set boundaries for overbearing or controlling extended family members.

Loss and Grief Counseling

When your family experiences loss, it can take a huge toll on the health and happiness of your family. Families seek Christian family counseling after the death of family members, both immediate and extended, after the loss of a family pet, or a close family friend. These kinds of experiences are heartbreaking, and affect each member of the family in different ways. Children for example, especially young children who don’t understand death, can feel very confused, sad, and a sense of longing for those lost. Parents who have lost a family member might feel such grief that they struggle to care for themselves and their children. Christian family counseling will offer support in dealing with intense emotions associated with losing a loved one. Although it might seem hopeless now, you and your family can learn to work through you pain and grow closer as a family through faith, acceptance, and honoring the memory of those you love.

Transitions

Life changes can cause stress and conflict within families. Things like moving, having children, caring for elderly or sick family members, and career changes can pose challenges, threatening the peace and health of your family. Family Christian counseling can allow each family member to talk about their concerns and emotions, and how the transition affects them and their relationship with other family members. Together, we can discuss ways to overcome obstacles that result from life transitions, possible compromises, and ways to adapt to change for the betterment of the whole family.

Health-Related Issues

When someone in the family is struggling with health problems, it’s natural for everyone to succumb to overwhelming emotion. Things like chronic or terminal illness, disability, or trauma affect each member of the family in a profound way. During Christian family counseling, your family can discuss how the health issue affects the emotional and physical life of the patient, and the impact on family dynamics. The stress caused by physical illness can bring other issues to the surface such as marital problems, depression, and religious beliefs. Uncertainty about things you can’t control, what will happen to yourself and your loved ones in the future, and beliefs about death become the focus for many people suffering from serious health conditions.

Part of learning to handle health-related issues is trying your best to make the most out of life given certain physical limitations, enjoying quality family interactions, and finding peace through faith. The goal of counseling is to enhance the quality of life for the patient and family, improving communication with healthcare providers and family members, moving towards acceptance of conditions that cannot be cured, and support in making necessary lifestyle changes. Enjoying the time you have together as a family is critical. Through Christian counseling, your family can gain support, emotional healing, and find comfort in God’s word to help you all live as fully as possible.

Expression of Faith Within the Family

From the Christian perspective, expression of faith and spiritual development are key components to building a strong, healthy, Christ-centered family. Families who share in their religious beliefs have the ability to grow together through worship, prayer, and Bible study. Shared values and interests promote functionality and peace, and families of faith can draw support, guidance, and hope from God’s word. However, there are often differences in spiritual beliefs among family members, which can lead to disagreements, conflict, and frustration. Christian family counseling can help both Christian families, and families with a blend of beliefs learn to better communicate their needs for religious expression, and develop a better understanding and respect for the faith of other family members.

The goal of Christian family counseling is to allow each family member the ability to be heard, respected, and supported in their unique spiritual journey. Should your family wish to learn more about Christianity and how to grow in Christ as a family, your Christian counselor can answer your questions by offering exploration of prayer, Bible study, and ways to shift family dynamics in a way that fulfills God’s will for your life and your family.

Addiction

When a family member struggles with addiction, it has a serious impact on the family as a whole, affecting emotional, financial, and physical well being. The family plays a very important role in the healing process for the person suffering addiction, as well as productive change for the entire family. You and your family will learn about addiction, so you can become a source of help during the treatment process, while also holding the addict accountable for how their behavior affects family dynamics. Each family member is affected by addiction, so providing counseling aimed at building support for both the addict and other family members can improve the effectiveness of addiction treatment.

Addicts and their families utilize Christian family counseling in order to work together to battle a variety of addictions such as alcohol abuse, addiction to drugs, food addictions, addiction to porn, and sex addiction. Your Christian counselor will offer faith-based counseling and support for the entire family as the addict works towards recovery. The addict might also benefit from individual Christian counseling with one of our Christian counselors who are experienced in helping people overcome the bondage of chemical dependency, sex addiction, pornographic addiction, and eating disorders.

At Tacoma Christian Counseling, we are dedicated to helping your family overcome struggles and form stronger emotional bonds between family members. We are here to answer any questions you have about family counseling for Christians.

Does Christian Family Counseling Work?

Christian family counseling can resolve a wide range of issues within families. Family counseling is most beneficial when every member of the family actively attends counseling, but in cases where that isn’t likely, the remaining members can still benefit from family counseling sessions. To avoid the risk of worsening family problems, make sure you seek a reliable, professional family counselor.

Will We Meet Together or Separately?

For Christian family counseling to be most effective, your counselor will likely recommend joint sessions. Depending on the circumstances, your counselor might hold individual meetings with certain family members, with the understanding that withholding too much information can limit the success within the family counseling approach. Your counselor views the family as a single unit in need of help and healing. They will do whatever they deem to be in the best interest of the family as a whole.

How Do I Ask My Children About Their Counseling Sessions?

If your child is undergoing individual counseling sessions, you might have concerns about their progress or what is discussed during their sessions. This can be resolved by meeting with the counselor and your child in order to discuss issues of confidentiality, and how that relates to the treatment of your child. The counselor will discuss with you what can and cannot be talked about outside of counseling, so you and your child have an understanding before the sessions begin.

What Does Family Counseling Cost?

The cost of family counseling varies depending on the experience of your counselor and your insurance coverage. You’ll find that counselors with more experience charge more, while newer counselors offer lower rates. Some counselors provide sliding-scale payment options for lower income families. Talk with your insurance provider to learn whether family counseling is covered, and our staff will do all we can to answer your questions and find a counselor that fits your needs and budget.

What Should I Look for In A Christian Family Counselor?

If you’re looking for a Christian counselor for your family, you need a licensed family therapist. Christian family counselors are experienced in understanding family dynamics, and how to work through almost any issue you might face as a family.

If you need a qualified and skilled family Christian counselor, Tacoma Christian Counseling can help. We welcome you to browse our counselor profiles to find a Christian counselor that fits your needs or give us a call at (253) 777-1997 for more information. We look forward to helping your family find healing, hope, and peace.