When people hear “family therapy,” they often picture parents and kids on a couch. In practice, family therapy sessions can look many different ways. It might include grandparents, aunts and uncles, stepparents, or others who play a meaningful role in the family and want to support it.
At New Directions Mental Health, we offer family therapy alongside couples and individual counseling throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. If you’ve been thinking about getting help, call 724.374.7414 to talk with an intake specialist or set up a first appointment.
What a Therapist Does in Family Sessions
Family therapy is a form of talk therapy. A therapist helps the group look at how they relate to one another, including who tends to take charge, who stays quiet, and where conflict tends to start. From there, the therapist might guide you through practice conversations, teach communication skills, or help the family agree on boundaries and schedules that fit everyone’s needs.
Who Can Come to Family Therapy Sessions?
Our family therapists are trained to work with households of all shapes, ages, and expressions. If someone is closely involved in the family and cares about repairing or strengthening its relationships, they can take part.
When Family Therapy Can Help
Some families wait until things feel unmanageable, but healing often happens faster when issues are addressed up front. Consider family therapy if any of these sound familiar:
- A child has been newly diagnosed with something like anxiety or ADHD
- Two households have joined and everyone is adjusting
- The family is grieving a loss
- A move or job loss has turned daily life upside down
- One family member has a serious chronic illness
- An argument between two people has begun affecting everyone
- An adopted child wants to talk through their experience with the people raising them
- Someone in the family, or the whole family, lived through something traumatic, like a fire or an act of violence
How Families Benefit from Therapy Together
Doing this work together can pay off well beyond the sessions:
- Closer bonds: Setting aside time to work toward something shared brings people together.
- An end to longstanding conflicts: A neutral therapist can help a family move beyond a disagreement that keeps resurfacing.
- Improved communication: You’ll learn specific ways to speak with each other more kindly and clearly.
- More compassion: When people understand the patterns at play, they tend to extend more grace to each other.
- Support for mental health: If one family member is struggling, learning as a group how to help can make a lasting difference.
Getting Started at New Directions Mental Health
We aim to make getting the mental health care you need as seamless and accessible as possible. Here’s what to expect :
- Contact us at 724.374.7414 or fill out a short form so our intake team can learn about your situation and pair you with a fitting provider.
- Sort out insurance coverage, copays, and any out-of-pocket expenses in advance.
- Choose in-person or telehealth for your first appointment, whichever suits your family.
- Talk with your therapist about whether individual therapy, psychiatry, or additional supports could help. Our providers work together so every aspect of care stays coordinated.
- Keep going as long as you find it useful. Treatment is guided by you and your therapist together.
Cost & Insurance
Many families find their insurance covers at least part of family therapy. When a diagnosed mental health condition is part of the picture, family therapy is commonly a billable service. If it isn’t, our intake team will go over session costs with you before you begin.
New Directions Mental Health is in-network with most major insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. To ask about your specific coverage, call 724.374.7414.
Care for Every Kind of Family in Pittsburgh & Southwestern Pennsylvania
Our clinics are staffed with therapists and medication prescribers who bring a variety of specialties, certifications, and lived experiences. That means we can work with individuals, couples, and families no matter their age, presentation, or how severe their symptoms are. To get started, call 724.374.7414 or fill out a brief form to be contacted and talk through next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Therapy
What actually happens in family therapy?
Much of the time goes toward understanding how your family currently operates and gradually changing the patterns that cause strain. If a specific relative is going through something difficult, sessions may also focus on how to support them while keeping boundaries that protect everyone.
Are family therapy and family counseling the same thing?
For the most part, yes. The words are used interchangeably. Check that your provider is a qualified clinician with relevant experience, whichever title they use.
How can we prepare for family therapy?
Have each attendee write down what they’d like to bring up. Your therapist can then make sure each person has a chance to speak.
Why might a family need therapy?
Common reasons include a divorce or breakup, a new blended household, a loved one’s diagnosis, or a loss or big life change that everyone is processing.
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