Christian Family Counseling-Phoenix
Christian family counseling services at our Phoenix and Scottsdale office locations can help your family to positively work through challenging situations such as family discord, adjustments in living situations, grief and loss issues, parenting challenges, and even in families who just want to increase their level of closeness. It could be that there is a single member of the family who is experiencing difficulty. For example, a son or daughter who is acting out or a family member who is abusing drugs or alcohol. The bottom line is that if your family is struggling to get along, lacking cohesiveness, or if you simply want to deepen and improve family connections then family therapy can help.
The first step in family counseling is to set an intake session.
All members of the family are encouraged to attend and participate in this session. This means all the family members who are living in the home. It may also include key family members who may not be living at home but who are important members of the family. For instance, if the family consists of mom, dad, and their 2 children everyone is encouraged to attend the intake session. If the family members who live at home consist of a single parent, younger child, grandparents, and the older child who no longer lives at home but still is an important member then it is best for everyone to attend.
In the first session of family counseling the family therapist focuses on how the family interacts with one another. The family counselor is not only listening to what is being said but is also observing how family members engage. The family therapist will pay close attention to where people sit in relation to one another and how the family talks to one another. The primary goal of the therapist in this first counseling session is to not only observe but then begin formulating a plan of action that can help with whatever issue is bringing the family to counseling.
Family therapy may be the recommended course of treatment in situations where one person has been identified as having a problem.
Let’s say that little Johnny has been ditching school, failing classes, hanging with the wrong crowd, and starting to experiment with drugs and alcohol. In a situation such as this family therapy may be indicated. The reason we ask for family members living at home and key family members to attend family therapy sessions is based on the concept of the family system’s theory. Basically what this theory proposes is that people cannot be fully understood outside of the family/social context. Most of us do not live in a vacuum. We are a part of complex family and social units. What the system’s theory proposes is that to truly understand and then help a person one must view them as a part of a larger system of interconnected and interdependent individuals. It may be that little Johnny is acting out because of a larger family dynamic.
There will also be situations where family counseling is needed where there is not one person who has been identified as having the problem. This can be in families where they want to improve their overall level of functioning. They want to be happier as a family. It may also be in a situation where the family would like to have an intervention. This could be in a situation where family members are concerned about an adult family member’s alcohol use and they want to express their concern.
The difference between Christian family counseling and family counseling is that in Christian family counseling there is a greater emphasis on God and Scripture.
In Christian family counseling the therapist may assign such tasks as praying together, attending church together, and serving others as a family. Joshua 24:15 reads “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” The ultimate goal of Christian family counseling is to establish and promote a strong relationship with God and strong relationships within the family system!
Begin Crossroads Family Counseling in Phoenix, AZ
Crossroads Family Counseling Center offers both Christian family counseling and family counseling for those who do not have a religious belief system. As always, we work with people from all faith and belief backgrounds. If you believe that your family could benefit from family therapy give us a call. Our team can help families who are in crisis or with families who want to improve their overall happiness in Phoenix, Anthem, online/virtual for Arizona, and Scottsdale. You can start your therapy journey with Crossroads Counseling by following these simple steps:
- Contact Crossroads Counseling for a complimentary 20-minute phone consult
- Meet with a Christian Family therapist
- Start changing your family dynamics today
Call us for Christian Family Counseling at 623-680-3486,text 623-688-5115, or email info@crossroadsfcc.com.
