What Family Therapy is Effective in Treating.

In the wake of an event that may cause a strain on family relations like, divorce, financial hardships, or the death of a loved one, a family can benefit heavily from attending Family Therapy.  Family Therapy is prominently effective at handling cases of, depression, communication problems, substance abuse, to behavioral issues.   Family counseling aims to promote understanding and collaboration among family members in order to solve the problems of one or more individuals. For example, if a child is having social and academic problems, therapy will focus on the family patterns that may contribute to the child’s acting out, rather than evaluating the child’s behavior alone. As the family uncovers the source of the problem, they can learn to support the child and other family members and work proactively on minimizing or altering the conditions that contribute to the child’s unwanted behavior.  

Approaches to Family Therapy.

Most forms of family counseling borrow heavily from systems theory, though there are others based on psychological approaches such as experiential, cognitive-behavioral, and psychodynamic. Family systems therapy contends that the internal dynamics of the family system can produce and sustain problematic behaviors in family members. All family therapy approaches are designed to help families improve communication, problem-solving, and coping skills, and enhance their sense of connection to one another.  

Meeting With a Family Therapist

Family counseling is provided by licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT). Other mental health professionals—such as professional counselors, social workers, and psychologists—who have received formal training in family therapy approaches may incorporate those principles into their own work. This mode of therapy is solution-focused and short-term, with as few as nine sessions required, on average. Meetings are often held once per week and typically last for 50 minutes. The number of family members who attend each session may vary, depending on therapy goals, and often a therapist will offer individual sessions to supplement the family sessions. Family counseling is conducted in a variety of settings including family counseling services, community agencies, and residential treatment centers.