Adults and guardians may consider family therapy for teens to learn how to communicate effectively but may mistakenly think that they don’t need to learn how to do so along with their children. However, family therapy helps all family members involved in learning and practicing skills that help them communicate and resolve conflicts properly.
Overall, family therapy helps a family unit work on their collective dysfunctions while strengthening their relationships with each other. Looking for family therapy services for teens in Colorado? Contact Imagine Fort Collins today by calling 888.291.2309 or reaching out to our team online.
What Is Family Therapy?
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, that can help family members improve their communication and conflict resolution skills. It’s usually provided by a clinical social worker, licensed therapist, or psychologist. Not all family members are required to be part of family therapy sessions—only those who are willing or part of the same household.
A family therapy program is often a short-term one. Family therapy sessions can help families deepen their connections and get them through stressful times, even those that happen after the family therapy program is over.
What Are Some Common Family Therapy Activities for Teens?
Different exercises encourage bonding, conversation, and understanding between family members. Others function as “ice breakers,” even though family members already know each other. It’s important to emphasize that the family is in this experience together. Below are some examples of common family therapy activities that can get teens to engage more with the therapist and the other family members:
- Fear in a Hat: This activity helps a family understand what other family members are feeling anonymously. This is great for families that are struggling to open up. Everyone should write down a worry, fear, or another emotion on a strip of paper and put it into a hat. The therapist will then read them aloud to the group.
- Human Knot: This activity is meant to help a family learn how to work together to solve a problem. Family members should stand in a circle and connect arms with random members of the group. The team then has to try and untangle themselves.
- Gratitude Mapping: This activity involves the therapist giving each family member a piece of paper with six categories on them: people, experiences, things, places, skills, and other. Then, the therapist should ask everyone to write at least one thing they are grateful for in each category. This exercise is meant to shed light on positive things in a family member’s life that they may not even think about often.
- Group Meditation: For families dealing with anxiety, stress, heightened emotions, or any other challenges, this activity may help everyone feel more grounded. The therapist may consider implementing a regular “one-minute meditation” at the end of family therapy sessions.
- Two Truths and a Lie: This activity should be explainable just by its name. The therapist should ask a family to write three “facts” down on a sheet of paper. Two of these “facts” should be true and one should be false. Family members should then take turns reading their three facts to one another while they try to guess which fact is a lie.
When Should You Consider Family Therapy Services?
Family therapy activities are not only for teens but also for adults in a family unit. Family therapy can definitely help teens process their behaviors, feelings, and thoughts about any stressful family issue—but it must be noted again that family therapy helps the entire family unit, not just the children.
If your family is going through anger, conflict, grief, or stress because of an issue that affects all of you, family therapy certainly should be in consideration. It can not only help you and your family members understand one another better but also teach you all the proper coping and conflict resolution skills that can strengthen your relationships with each other.
Contact Imagine Fort Collins Today
If you’re searching for family therapy services for teens in Colorado, contact Imagine Fort Collins today. Call 888.291.2309 or reach out to our team online.