Life is a beautiful, magical journey, but it can also be challenging and demanding. It can be like a roller-coaster ride where we experience extreme highs and lows. When life starts becoming too much, we need to take the time to tend to our mental health and well-being, just as we would for any other physical condition.
Finding the proper support during overwhelming times is essential to managing stress, anxiety, trauma, and other life issues. Family counseling offers a safe, supportive space to explore your feelings, find clarity, and gain skills for managing difficult emotions for individuals and their families. As with any health concern, you must find the right therapist best suited to your personal goals and needs.
If you’re looking for professional family counseling in Bergen County, Care Plus New Jersey is here to help. We provide comprehensive counseling services, helping individuals and families understand their issues and work toward positive change.
Learn more about our family counseling services and why Care Plus New Jersey is the best choice for your family’s needs.
What Is Family Counseling?
Family counseling is a therapy where family members come together with a licensed marriage and family therapist or other credentialed family counselors to discuss their feelings, experiences, and challenges. Each family member can share what’s going on in their life and how it affects the entire family.
Family counselors aim to provide an atmosphere of understanding and knowledge where family systems can resolve conflicts and disagreements. Family counselors are professionals who foster an overall focus as clients discover their journey to emotional well-being. They offer a therapeutic relationship between family members, allowing them to heal and grow together.
Family counseling can also help with a wide range of issues, from parent-child relationships to divorce or the death of a loved one. It also benefits clients with mental issues such as depression, anxiety, mood disorders, or addictions. Through family counseling, family members can talk about symptoms they are questioning like depression, learn better communication and coping skills, practice healthy behavior patterns, and understand how their emotions impact each other.
Family therapists can help children and adolescents navigate various life events, such as puberty, bullying, and peer pressure. They can also help couples overcome marriage issues and reignite passion and intimacy in their relationship. By improving family systems and functions, family counselors can create lasting positive outcomes for the entire family.
While going to therapy individually or as a family takes courage, it can work effectively. A Cambridge research study reported that clients with eating disorders significantly improved after family therapy treatment, and 75% of five-year follow-ups had a good outcome.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker Vs. Licensed Family Counselor
You may choose between a licensed clinical social worker or licensed therapists also known as licensed family counselors when looking for family counseling. These professionals provide help to their clients to work through emotional difficulties, develop harmonious relationships, and improve their daily lives. However, they may differ in the ways they approach and treat patients.
A licensed clinical social worker typically has a master’s degree in social work. They focus on helping their clients with mental, emotional, and behavioral challenges. They usually meet each client one-on-one and use their knowledge of psychology, sociology, and social work to provide evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment.
On the other hand, a licensed professional counselor typically has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy. Family counselors use psychotherapy to help individuals, couples, and family members to identify and treat their symptoms and issues. They also provide comprehensive treatment plans and work to create a supportive environment so that every family member receives respect, acceptance, and compassion.
At CarePlus New Jersey, we have both – licensed clinical social workers and licensed family counselors who specialize in family therapy and understand the dynamics between family members.
All family counselors at Care Plus New Jersey provide an understanding, compassionate, nonjudgmental in person or online therapy that allows family members to process and express their feelings openly and honestly. Whether you or a family member is feeling stressed out, depressed, anxious, or wanting to focus on family challenges, our family counselors are here to provide help and guidance.
Finding Family Counselors for Your Family
Finding the right family therapist can be a daunting task. To find the proper fit for you and your family, you must consider several factors, such as experience, specialty, approach, and location.
Here are some tips to help you in the process.
Referral From Someone You Trust
Friends, colleagues, and community members may also have valuable insight into trusted family counselors in your area and help in your search.When seeking a family counselor, look at local reviews and online ratings. Feedback from a friend or online can help you to get an idea of the treatment each professional or counseling center provides.
Consider Counselor Education
When choosing a family therapist, you must examine their educational background and professional experience. Verify their license and certification, and find out their education and training related to marriage and family therapy. This will help you determine whether the family counselor is qualified to provide the right help for your family.
Mental Health Field Experience
No two professionals are alike, so the family counselor should have extensive experience in the mental health field. Ask what types, ages, and people they have worked with in the past and how long they have been in practice. This will show you whether the family therapist has the right focus and experience to provide quality care and expertise for your family’s needs.
CarePlus New Jersey Provides Mental Healthcare
At CarePlus New Jersey, we understand the importance of family counseling and work to provide a holistic approach to mental healthcare. Our licensed family counselors have the expertise and experience to help your family cope with life’s stresses and improve their relationships. Through our various family therapy programs, we can help families explore their dynamics, encourage self-reflection and growth, and create positive changes that will last for years.
Some of our family therapy services include the following.
Family and Adolescent Services
We know that children and adolescents carry trauma and behaviors they learn as they grow into adults. Our family and adolescent services include family and individual therapy to help kids and teens identify their thoughts and feelings, understand their behavior and beliefs, and learn vital life lessons. We can also help them deal with school issues, peer pressure, and mental health problems.
Family Support Center
Addictions can severely impact families, but being a family doesn’t stop when a member suffers from an addiction. Our Family Support Center (FSC) works with families to provide guidance and resources on substance abuse and addiction with a focus on opioid use disorder (OUD). We seek to help families understand addiction, remove addiction-related fear and judgment, and support their loved ones on their journey to recovery.
Group Therapy and Support Groups
CarePlus New Jersey provides various group therapy and support group sessions to help kids, teens, and parents learn how to communicate, manage their emotions, and develop healthy coping skills. By working with other children, couples, and families in a safe and supportive environment, participants can gain valuable tools for managing stress, establishing boundaries, improving relationships, and more. Every person can learn from and support one another as they work towards achieving their goals.
School-based Services
We understand the unique needs of children and youth in school settings and provide tailored services to meet their needs. We offer individual, group, or family counseling, educational workshops, community outreach programs, recreation and summer programs, and more to improve their mental, emotional, and social health. We strive to provide the best care and resources possible to ensure our youth get the necessary support in school and beyond.
Who We Serve at Care Plus New Jersey
At CarePlus New Jersey, we provide family counseling services to individuals and families of all ages, backgrounds, and needs. We welcome new clients seeking help with mental health, substance use, relationships, parenting challenges, and more. Whether you’re a growing teen, a first-time parent, a couple with a rocky marriage, or a person dealing with depression and anxiety, we can help you find the clarity and balance you need to lead a healthier and happier life.
No matter your situation, our compassionate team is ready to help you and your family create lasting positive changes. We also accept various insurance plans and offer sliding-scale services based on need and income. This includes state insurance. For those in the school systems we serve, out therapists and counselors offer free counseling, career guidance, and group sessions, and education of various topics.
Request an Appointment With Care Plus New Jersey Today
If you’re looking for family counseling near in northern New Jersey, Care Plus is here for you. We strive to provide the best possible continuum of care and support to help you and your family live healthier and happier lives.
Call us today or go online to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-find-a-therapist
https://psychcentral.com/blog/10-ways-to-find-a-good-therapist
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/nj/hamilton?category=family-therapy
https://thervo.com/family-counseling
https://www.betterhelp.com/therapists/nj/trenton/
https://www.aamft.org/directories/find_a_therapist.aspx
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/counseling-services-and-referrals/
https://www.pacificoaks.edu/voices/psychology/what-is-the-difference-between-an-lcsw-and-an-lmft/
Ashley Elizabeth Morolla, MA, LPC, ACS, CCTP, DRCC
Ashley Morolla is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has been working in the field of mental health since 2007. Ashley is the Program Manager and lead trainer for our school violence prevention, and she directs the Power in Presence program offering Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) to youth in a group setting. Ashley specializes in the field of crisis and trauma and has been trained in Complex Trauma, Child and Adolescent Trauma and is an EMDR Certified provider.
