Family therapy is an integral part of the mental health treatment journey. It is a great tool, especially if your relationship with your child has become strained due to mental health concerns. There are many ways to strengthen these relationships and improve communication with your teen. Treatment programs offer therapy for teens and their families so that recovery continues at home in a guided healthy way. The coping skills teens build benefit them in all aspects of their lives, and having a family support network makes their recovery journey easier. For more information on the adolescent family therapy program at Imagine Seattle, call our team today at 888.346.0473.
Family Therapy Tips to Improve Communication
Communication can be difficult when your teen has mental health issues. In addition to your teen having trouble communicating with you about what they are going through, you may feel unsure of the best approach to best support them as they go through their treatment journey. Supportive, open communication between family members who love and care for each other will get the entire family through difficult times. On the contrary, a lack of communication can worsen what your teen is going through.
Families can participate in many activities to improve communication. Here’s how to get a teenager to talk about their feelings:
- Make a game out of guessing the emotion your teen may be experiencing. This builds better awareness for recognizing emotions going forward.
- Build the ability to pay better attention during conversations by listening to what your teen is saying and drawing it in as much detail as possible.
- Learn how communication can go well and not go well by having everyone participate in a group exercise following the directions to create paper origami.
- Use an emotions ball to encourage discussion around specific emotions.
- Improve listening and response skills through a “telephone” activity. To start, one person whispers a message, the next person whispers the same message, and so forth. See how the message changes from the first person to the last.
These activities and strategies can improve teenage communication problems, helping you develop a closer relationship with your child to support their wellness journey.
Benefits of Adolescent Family Therapy Programs
Family therapy as a support for teen mental health has many advantages. It benefits teens and provides families with mental health support to help their children at home. Some perks of family therapy include the following:
- Improved teenage communication skills – Learning how to better communicate with your teen and the rest of your family better serves each person and supports your teen’s treatment and recovery.
- Everyone receives therapy – Even though your teen’s treatment is the priority, the added benefit is that all family members who participate in family therapy receive the benefits. In a safe and open therapy environment, any family member can talk about frustrations or negative feelings they are experiencing. The goal is to create as healthy a home environment as possible.
- Relationship skills – Everyone in family therapy can learn healthier relationship skills. Bad relationship habits could trigger your teen’s poor mental health.
- Strong family bonds – Open communication and active participation in family therapy promote better mental health for everyone involved. This is one of the biggest benefits of family therapy for teen mental health.
Bringing a family closer is invaluable. Family therapy can support the building and strengthening of familial bonds for a brighter future.
Contact Imagine Seattle for More Information on Adolescent Family Therapy Programs
A well-rounded mental health treatment program for teens includes a strong element of family therapy. Teens struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health disorders benefit from having a strong family support system. At Imagine Seattle, family therapy provides an outlet for better communication with your teen in a safe, judgment-free space with therapeutic professionals.
If you have a teen whose mental health negatively affects their health and education, contact the caring and knowledgeable team at Imagine Seattle today at 888.346.0473 or online. We can answer any questions about family therapy and other outpatient therapies available on campus.