Family Therapy

Our families are the first group of people we are introduced to in life. For better or worse, we are all born into a family. We don’t get to choose our families. Every family is different. Some find their family as a source of nurturing and support. Some find their families as a source of pain and disappointment.

Family therapy is a type of therapy in which the family is treated as a whole. As the name suggests, a family or members of a family would attend therapy. Family therapy can help families with:

• High Level of Conflict
• Poor Communications
• Behavioural issues in a child or teenager
• Adjusting to Changes (e.g. Marriage, blended families, divorce)
• A loss or trauma occurring to the whole family (e.g. death or being the victim of crime)

Family therapy sees a family as a system comprising of more than the sum of its parts. This system is what the focus of family therapy is, as opposed to a specific individual as seen in individual therapy.

Benefits of Family Therapy

We all grow up in a context, we all grow up in a family. To ignore this context ignores a huge part of one’s life. A family can be a huge source of support and help in challenging issues or problems. On the other hand, if a relationship with a family member is seen as the source of conflict, working with both parties can have a more direct effect as compared with just one member. Working with the family can open up new avenues for growth that may not be immediately accessible through individual therapy.

The overarching goal of family therapy is the improvement of the family as a whole. Specific goals of family therapy can also include:

• Improving communication,
• Decreasing conflict and healthier ways to navigate conflict
• Strengthening bonds/relationships among members,
• Coping with stress and major life transitions
• Improving the emotional environment at home

Does Family Therapy Work?

Family therapy has a wide research base that finds it effective. There are multiple schools of family therapy (e.g. systemic) and many other individual schools of therapy that have been applied to family therapy (e.g. CBT).

How Family Therapy Works

Usually, family therapy begins with the whole family attending therapy. I find it so essential that the whole family attends the first session in order to hear from each member of the family. During that initial session, goals will be found and a plan forward drawn. Therapy may subsequently involve the whole family, or specific member and even one individual at times. Important to remember is that the overarching goal still leads towards improvement for the whole family, even if they may not attend every session.

Some Thoughts on Family Therapy

I personally love family therapy. I have seen it help countless families. Considering that with family is where we spend majority of our time, why not involve the whole family in therapy?

Some other important points:

• There is no age limit on family therapy.
• All families can attend family therapy
• The goal of family therapy is not to blame one member of a family, but rather to come together as a group for healing.

Should you be interested in individual, couples or family therapy, contact me at Thrive Psychology.

-Steve