Family Therapy
“No family is perfect. The best we can hope for is a family that is functional most of the time, makes allowances for some dysfunction, and when things break down, finds a way to mend them.”
~David Richo
What is family therapy?
Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves all the members of a nuclear or extended family. Although some forms of family therapy are based on behavioral or psychodynamic principles, the most widespread form is based on family systems theory. This approach regards the family, as a whole, as the unit of treatment, and emphasizes such factors as relationships and communication patterns rather than traits or symptoms in individual members.
How long does it last?
Family therapy tends to be short-term treatment with a focus on resolving specific problems. It is not normally used for long-term or intensive restructuring of severely dysfunctional families.
What happens in sessions?
All members of the family and the therapist are present for family therapy sessions. Generally the therapist will analyze the process of family interaction and communication as a whole; it is not about taking sides with specific members. Interpretations are intended to help family members become more conscious of patterns or structures that had been previously taken for granted. In family therapy systems theory is used as a structure to evaluate family members in terms of their position or role within the system as a whole. Problems are treated by changing the way the system works rather than trying to “fix” a specific member.
Outcomes:
Family therapy can provide greater insight, increased differentiation of individual family members, improved communication within the family, loosening of previously automatic behavior patterns, and resolution of the problem that led the family to seek treatment.
Some interesting history on how it all came about…
Family therapy is a relatively recent development in psychotherapy. It began shortly after World War II, when doctors, who were treating schizophrenic patients, noticed that the patients’ families communicated in disturbed ways. The doctors found that the patients’ symptoms rose or fell according to the level of tension between their parents. These observations led to considering a family as an organism or system with its own internal rules, patterns of functioning, and tendency to resist change. The therapists started to treat the families of the patients as whole units rather than focusing on the hospitalized member. They found that in many cases the family member with schizophrenia improved when the “patient” was the family system. (This should not be misunderstood to mean that schizophrenia is caused by family problems, although family problems may worsen the condition.) This approach of involving the entire family in the treatment plan and therapy was then applied to families with problems other than the presence of schizophrenia.
Family therapy is becoming an increasingly common form of treatment as changes in American society are reflected in family structures. It has led to two further developments: couples therapy, which treats relationship problems between partners; and the extension of family therapy to religious communities or other groups that resemble families.
If you are interested in setting up and appointment or have any further questions, please feel free to contact me. We can discuss questions and set the initial assessment appointment during a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation.