Healing with Parents: Benefits of Family Therapy to Helping Your Child through their Struggles

A family is a unit with its own communication patterns, relationships, struggles, memories, laughs – and, virtually, anything else that the mind can think of. Ultimately, the family is the first and the strongest connection that a person forms. And, although the quote, “all happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” is beautifully poetic, it’s not true at all. Every family is different, but one constant remains: even the best TV family requires work. One of the benefits of family therapy is that by addressing the entire family rather than its individual members, problems that any member may be having come out and are worked through together. 
There are too many benefits of family therapy to count. Integrating the family into a child’s therapy allows the environment to change in healthy ways. For example: a struggling child may go through a therapeutic program, but if they encounter the same conditions at home as existed before the program, they could find themselves reverting back to their old ways. Having the environment be a warm and welcoming one will allow any behavioral shifts that occurred in therapy to remain permanent.

Benefits of Family Therapy Combined with Wilderness Therapy

Another of the benefits of family therapy involves its connection to wilderness therapy. Family therapy is an inextricable part of the wilderness approach – while much of the therapy occurs at state-of-the-art facilities, the therapeutic changes come from within. While a child explores themselves in the wild, the family is kept up-to-date on the progress. Although wilderness therapy is designed to curb reliance on technology (which, in itself, often exacerbates existing problems – if it’s not the main offender), communication with the parents is maintained. Moreover, sessions with parents are specifically conducted to ensure that everything is going according to plan.
As much as many teens would hate to admit, they are linked to their family. A wilderness program addresses a variety of issues – from mental illness and addiction, to stress and trauma. Some problems are caused by external forces; others are caused by genetics. In any case, however, family plays a crucial role. Depending on the situation, a family dynamic can make an existing problem worse or even inadvertently trigger a problem in the first place. By focusing on potential issues and eliminating any kinks, even seemingly ruined family bonds can be repaired.
Wilderness therapy allows your child to return to a healthy path. Struggles can often perpetuate themselves and take a heavy toll; with wilderness therapy, however, old patterns are broken and replaced with smiles once again. Returning happiness is one of the benefits of family therapy that has no price.
Trails Carolina is a wilderness therapy program for struggling teens, ages 11-17. Our students commonly deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and other behavioral challenges.
For more information about Trails Carolina, please call 800-975-7303 today!