Family Psychotherapy - What it is and What You Can Expect

In family therapy two or more members of the same family are given counseling with the goal to change patterns of unhealthy communication and interaction among them.

Generally speaking, when a child or an adolescent is brought in for therapy for conduct problems,  the possibility of an underlying dysfunction within the family system is explored. The areas that are given special focus are: how family members interact with each other and the family dynamics - the specific role each member plays and the cascading effect it has on the others.

What the Therapist Does During these Sessions:

• Examines communication styles
• Helps the family set realistic relationship goals
• Psycho-educates the family
• Teaches the family distress tolerance skills and coping strategies
• Provides systematic coaching that facilitates adaptive and productive interaction among the family members. 
• Systematic coaching involves helping the clients explore and understand core beliefs about themselves. Core beliefs lead to unhelpful thoughts otherwise called cognitive distortions. Identifying and understanding these cognitive distortions will help the clients to reframe their thought process which in turn helps them respond to situations instead of impulsively react.

Each member within the family system has a hierarchical role and a specific style of interaction or response is expected from them. While these expectations can lead to balance and smooth functioning of the family, when these expectations are unrealistic/unmet, they can lead to  dysfunction not just at the individual level but also within the family system.

Goal of Therapy

The goal of therapy would be to focus on improving the current relationship. Bringing up past events time and again is actively discouraged. If at all the past is brought up, it is with the view of understanding patterns of interaction and behaviour. The clients are encouraged to make solution oriented choices. 

Family relationships are an important aspect of mental and emotional well-being.  Therefore, in family therapy, the emphasis is on interaction between family members. When one person within a family ecosystem has a problem, it tends to affect the entire family. In view of this, regardless of where the problem stemmed from and whether the clients themselves consider the problem as an individual issue rather than a family issue, involving families in finding the solutions that work for them is beneficial. 

The skills of a family therapist includes the ability to facilitate conversations such that it addresses the strengths and wisdom of the individual family members and at the same time support the positive aspects of the wider family system.