Do We Need Couples Or Family Therapy??
COVID has been tough on couples and families. The first few months were great - binging TV shows, baking, chilling at home, and reconnecting with family through the slow and simple pace of quarantine. But underneath are multiple negative threads - lack of space, financial stress, working and schooling from home, disconnection with friends, and lack of personal autonomy. After over a year of pandemic living, many couples and families have found themselves struggling as we come out of the COVID bubble.
Family and couples therapy can be a useful tool to help work through the strain in these relationships. Partners, parents, kids, and teens can learn healthier ways to communicate, find ways to join and reconnect with their lives outside of the home again, and have a safe space to share their struggles with the guidance of a professional helper.
Here are some signs that you and your partner and/or family members might benefit from therapy:
You’ve noticed an increase in arguing (siblings fighting more or harder than usual, more intense conflict with your partner, increased defiance from kids towards parents)
Your kids/teens seem withdrawn, irritable, lonely, sad, or “different” since the pandemic began
You or your partner/family members are struggling with rebuilding independent, separate lives since the world has opened up again (kids not wanting to see friends again, partners feeling upset when the other is out, anxiety about being in public due to virus fears, etc)
The impact that the pandemic has had on your partnership and family is significant (job loss, working from home, severe illness or death from COVID, increased substance use, etc)
ME Psychotherapy is open for in-person sessions at both our Providence and Narragansett offices and we will continue to offer Telehealth as well. We can accommodate your counseling needs, whether you require the private space of an office or the convenience of having remote sessions at home.
What you can expect from therapy:
A consistent safe space where you and your partner/family members can share your concerns openly
A committed and open-minded therapist who will work with you to identify pain points, create goals, and teach strategies for improved communication and harmony with your partner or family
Psychoeducation about the underlying reasons for your conflict - this is usually related to one of the partner or family members mental health struggles, past trauma and family of origin issues, or misunderstandings with communication
Honest feedback about ways to improve happiness - sometimes this can look like relationship reconciliation but sometimes it can mean separation or taking space from certain relationships
Referrals to other supportive services where needed
This fall, we are offering a new program for clients who choose to work with our intern therapists-in-training. We will be offering “pay what you can” sessions”, as well as copay fee matching, for clients with commercial insurance. Our therapists in training cannot take insurance, however, we will work with you to find a fee that works for your financial needs. Therapists-in-training are in the midst of learning the latest treatment approaches and are privy to the most up-to-date research in the therapy world. They are always eager to learn, open to feedback, and dedicated to providing you with a quality therapeutic experience. If you’re not sure about working with an intern, inquire about our free consultation option where you can have a free session with a therapist-in-training of your choosing to see if it’s a good match for you!
