Couple and Family Therapy
When there is a stressor or a family member in crisis, it impacts everyone.
In a couple’s relationship, stressors or crises may highlight areas of your relationship that are challenging for both you and your partner to navigate together as a united front. Stressors can exacerbate existing problems and issues in the relationship that may have been manageable before the stressor was a part of your daily life, but now it’s becoming increasingly difficult.
In a family system, stressors or crises can disrupt the normal functioning and patterns within a family and affect each family member in different ways.
Important things to know about couples therapy at Change Creates Change
- These sessions are NOT focused on eating disorders.
- For couples, the focus is on what you and your partner(s) need for help in your relationship.
- For families, these sessions are focused on anything that the family wants to work on to improve how they function together.
- This could include or not include talking about how the eating disorder is impacting family functioning, interactions, roles, and well-being.
- For couples, these sessions are confidential and not shared with the person accessing eating disorders treatment, especially if they are a child or youth.
- Children and youth cannot be a part of their caregiver’s relationship and maintaining this boundary ensures your relationship stays between you and your partner.
- For families, these sessions are confidential BUT if information is shared during the session(s) that the therapist thinks could help the treatment team working with the individual receiving eating disorder treatment, the therapist will talk with the family about permission to share this information.
What If I’m the Only One Who Wants To Go To Therapy?
Does this situation feel familiar?
There is a stressor or family member in crisis and you can see how it’s impacting your relationship with your partner, or certain family members, or the entire family. You do some internet searches or talk with your friends about the benefits of couple or family therapy. You decide to share this idea with your partner or family members and how this could be helpful to everyone. You feel motivated and ready to make changes. BUT your partner or family members say this “We don’t need therapy” or “I don’t want to do that” or “It’s not that bad, we can get through this”. And then you feel disappointed and not sure what to do.
Relational therapy is a great option for this exact situation. It’s a form of individual therapy where individuals talk about and receive support when experiencing challenges in their relationship with either their partner, certain family members, or the entire family. Relational therapy is common and an alternative approach to couple and family therapy when we might be the only ones ready to make changes or attend therapy.
Important things to know about relational therapy at Change Creates Change
- These are individual therapy sessions.
- These sessions are confidential and not shared with the person accessing eating disorders treatment, your partner, or your other family members.
- These sessions are focused on what you need help with when it comes to important relationships in your life.
- This could include or not include talking about how the eating disorder is impacting your couple relationship or certain family relationships, communication issues, family functioning, interactions, and well-being.
