The family is a key part of many people’s lives. We all come from a family, but each of our families can look different over time. Human relationships are complex, especially when it is someone who you spend a lot of time with or when it is someone you should be able to fully trust. All families experience crises, turmoil, and challenges, but it is how they deal with them that defines their interpersonal relationships. Family therapy can help family units learn better coping skills.

Some families can benefit from doing group or family therapy. Doing this helps all people to share their feelings and voice concerns to the other members. Not all family members may want to attend therapy, but working with a family therapist is a good option for enmeshed families. This blog will share more about what family therapy is and how certain techniques can help different family members. 

What Is Family Therapy?

Also known as systemic therapy, family therapy works to help resolve conflicts inside a family unit. Family therapy focuses on the fact that an individual’s emotions are directly tied to their family dynamic and the interactions they have with their family members. 

Understanding the family system as a whole will help a therapist be able to understand why an individual may make certain decisions. Families that have experienced a collective trauma can also be shown how to trust or connect with each other after this incident. 

Different Therapy Approaches

Depending on what therapist you work with, there are different therapy approaches that can be used. Some therapists may use multiple techniques to help a family learn to improve their communication. Here are four common therapy approaches that are used in family therapy. 

• Structural Therapy: The approach of structural therapy is to understand and analyze the family structure and hierarchy. The hierarchy is not always what it may seem to outsiders. A therapist will work to reset the hierarchy and work to achieve a more balanced family structure. 
• Bowenian Therapy: Bowen was a therapist who believed the differentiation of self was the best way to achieve psychological well-being. Bowenian Therapy helps all family members to remove themselves from the family (cognitively) and become more emotionally self-reliant. This helps them to be less reactive to family dynamics and still be stable in crisis. 

• Narrative Therapy: This therapy approach focuses on the stories of our lives. Even in a family, there are many versions of the same event in different family heads. Narrative Therapists will ask the family members to work on reframing their stories to notice their strengths. 

• Systemic Therapy: Systemic Therapy views problems as patterns. Families usually rely on patterns, traditions, and rituals to make the unit function “normally.” This therapeutic approach will work to break these patterns or alter them to improve family interactions. 

What Should I Get Out Of Family Therapy?

Working with a therapist should help you gain a better understanding of yourself as well as point out some bad habits that are affecting your relationships. Family therapy can help you achieve these goals and address other problems that occur only in tight-knit groups. 

Conflict Resolution

One big reason that people may attend couples therapy or family therapy, is to help them better resolve conflict. It is normal for people to disagree and even argue from time to time, but too much conflict can put strain on your relationship. Therapy will help you learn methods to reduce tension and give you communication tools to use when emotions are high. 

Better Manage Stress

Some families face major stressors. Things like a death in the family, family illness, addiction, or estranged family members can all be causes of physical and emotional stress. Therapy will help the family unit come together during these times and give individuals the tools to help cope with challenges. 

Break Destructive Patterns

Codependency, enabling, or unhealthy patterns will all be broken when working with a therapist. These patterns will continue to be a pain point in the family unit until you can work through them with clear communication. Therapy will help you adopt a healthier way of connecting with children, siblings, or parents. 

Family Therapy From Ogden Psychological Services

Our therapists at Ogden Psychological Services want to help families of all sizes and backgrounds. Our sessions can last anywhere from 12 to 50 minutes and will discuss family dynamics and the commitment of individuals of wanting to improve the family unit. Problems in a family impact all the members. There are many stressful things in our world that can put pressure on family relationships. Our therapists use the best techniques and therapy models to help you achieve your goals.

Our modern society in the U.S. often puts the spotlight on physical health rather than mental health. In recent years, many people have worked to raise mental health awareness, but there is still work to be done in order to help our society see the need for mental health resources.

Raising mental health awareness could lead to better access to mental health resources (therapy, mental health days, hotlines, medication, and more), people being more willing to seek therapy and medication, and helping people speak more freely about the feelings they battle with daily. Below are some reputable ways you can help to raise mental health awareness in your own circle and reduce the stigma. 

Share Reliable Resources And Hotlines

As the internet and more social media platforms take over our lives, there will be a plethora of information to sort through. Sharing mental health statistics and resources that are accurate can be tricky. When you are sharing resources with others, make sure that it emphasizes that mental health is a spectrum. Not all mental illnesses are the same and not all people experience the same symptoms. 

Reliable resources should be nationally recognized institutions or those with neurological or psychological degrees. Some resources that are factual and prevalent include:

• The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
• Veterans Crisis Line
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• National Alliance on Mental Health
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Resources in Utah and around Ogden include:

• Hope4Utah
• Office of Substance Use and Mental Health (SUMH)
• Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT)
• SafeUT Crisis Chat (app available for download)
• Live On– Utah’s statewide suicide prevention and awareness campaign 

Partner With Others

There are many established organizations that are working to raise mental health awareness and provide care to different patients. In order to expand your reach, ask if you can partner with organizations to help bring resources to your school or workplace. 

Many of these organizations host community events as well. Attending these events can help raise money for more resources, bring awareness to the event so more people can attend in the future, or give you resources to help improve your own mental health. 

If you want to do your own work to spread mental health awareness, try hosting a 5k walk/run, fundraisers, or a yoga/mindfulness meditation group. During these events, you can raise funds and tell people about mental health coping mechanisms. 

Use Social Media And Graphics To Attract Interest

Social media is all about visually appealing content and mentally engaging the audience. Infographics are a good way to share numbers and facts while still keeping your social media looking aesthetically pleasing. 

Many social media accounts share graphics and text posts that are easy to share with your profile or story. These can help raise mental health awareness because those who struggle will feel less alone. Sharing facts can help your friends and family learn more about mental illness from the comfort of their homes. Sharing posts may help spark an interest in people doing their own in-depth research as well. 

Plant Seeds For The Future

In order to help mental health awareness efforts continue into the future, it is important to teach the younger generation about their own mental health. Implementing school programs about mental health and boundaries can help foster more healthy relationships in their adult years. 

Providing after-school support groups or recommending age-appropriate therapy are other ways you can help foster the mental well-being of younger peers. Teaching at an early age will help create lasting change.

Share Stories Of Success

There are many people who seek different treatments for their mental health and have found healing. Sharing success stories of different therapy methods or changing diet and behaviors could help those who are struggling mentally. 

Some ideas you could share include:

• Your personal experience with therapy
• Stories of those who feel medication helped them
• Organizations that have made contributions to raise mental health awareness
• Stories of how the change to the suicide and crisis line has helped 
• Highlight different prominent people who have coped with their mental health
• Show what you do to take care of your mental health
• Read and review books about mental health

Take Proactive Steps To Improve Your Own Mental Health

While healing is not linear, taking the steps to improve your mental health can help others feel inspired to seek help. This doesn’t mean you always have to pretend to be mentally well, but you can share tips and struggles from your own life and how you have overcome them. 

If you are in therapy, ask your therapist about ways you can raise mental health awareness without sacrificing your mental health. They may be able to even share some well-researched tips to share on your social media or with friends. 

Our therapists and counselors at Ogden Psychological Services are ready to help you no matter where you are on your mental health journey. We provide individual counseling, couples counseling, neurofeedback therapy, and more. Each patient gets unique treatment from our team to help them achieve their goals.

College students can experience lots of stressors and have physically demanding schedules. As summer wraps up, it is time to start thinking and prepping for back-to-school with supplies, schedules, and mental health regimens.

It is common for college students to experience anxiety, depression, insomnia, and other mental health issues while moving away or living at school. Participating in college can be stressful even without mental illness, so taking care of your mental health can help you be successful in your classes. Here are some tips for college students to ensure they stay mentally and physically healthy.

1- Check Out Your Universities Mental Health Resources

Almost all universities have small healthcare and mental health centers that are either free or cheaper for students. These resources can include relaxation rooms, licensed counselors, references to outside therapy, meditation groups, and accommodations for students in classes. Your university can help you navigate college-specific issues and help you choose the right class load to keep yourself healthy. 

2- Get Enough Quality Sleep

One major problem that college students find when balancing school, work, and social life is getting enough sleep. Getting to meet new people and experience new things is a healthy part of college life, but sleep is important for you to function as a human. 

Sleep promotes memory retention and mental clarity which can help you feel better and do better in school. Quality sleep and a nighttime routine can help you feel more controlled and help you improve your productivity. 

3- Enroll In Hybrid Classes

If you are someone who struggles with mental illness or struggles to get to bed on time, hybrid classes are going to be your best friend. Hybrid courses often have a day in the classroom while the rest of the week is online or over a video call. 

Hybrid classes are a good option for people who need to work or who may not be able to make it to a physical class two to three times a week. You can be more successful in these classes because there is less pressure to be present and it helps you to avoid burnout. 

4- Create A Routine

Feeling overwhelmed is common among college students. Moving to school and living with new people can disrupt your routine. Establishing a new routine that you stick to will help your mental health. Routine can help you from getting stuck in unhealthy habits or spiraling. Unhealthy habits can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression. 

Routines also help you avoid surprises and unexpected events. This will limit stress in your life and help you prioritize what is important to you. Setting a routine will also help you schedule time for journaling, relaxation, homework, and other adult tasks that will need to be done. 

5- Avoid Isolating Yourself

When you are struggling, it can be tempting to isolate yourself or only focus on your schoolwork. While participating in college and putting your education first is important, being social and taking a break from homework are also important. 

Knowing when to ask for professional health is also important. While taking a nap or a break can be helpful, when your mental health is debilitating you need to seek help from a therapist or doctor.  

6- Don’t Neglect Your Physical Health

Exercise, good diet, sleep, and drinking enough water have physical health benefits and mental health benefits. Exercise can increase hormone production in the brain, eating healthy can give you more energy, and drinking water helps fuel your body and feel better. When you feel better physically, you can better handle stress. 

Adults are recommended to exercise at least 20 minutes a day. Fitting a workout into your busy schedule doesn’t have to be hard college students can benefit from walking to class instead of driving, going on a run with friends, taking a hike with roommates, or taking a yoga or workout class through the university. 

7- Try New Things

Finding a new hobby or trying new things can help you check off multiple of these tips at once, and help improve your mental state. If you have been wanting to try Pilates, you can learn something new while meeting new people and getting physical exercise. 

College is a great place to explore all kinds of avenues. Take a class about something you are interested in, but that isn’t part of your degree. This can be a nice break from stressful work and give you the knowledge you may otherwise never have gained. 

It is easy to withdraw when you are stressed, but pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can help increase dopamine in the brain and help you build a strong support system.

Mental Health Help From Ogden Psychological Services

College students or adults around college age can experience a lot of stressors. Navigating the world is stressful for many people, especially those who struggle with a mental illness. Ogden Psychological Services offers individual counseling, couples therapy, and family therapy, so you can work on many different challenges. If you are interested in what our team offers or how to get started, fill out our contact form or call our office!