Family Therapy

Deciding whether to attend family therapy can be challenging. Many families may feel that attending family therapy sessions is only an option for those experiencing mental health conditions or families who have exhausted the rest of their options. However, family therapy can be for any family and family member, regardless of diagnostic status, concerns, or relationship with each other.

How can family therapy help?

With a family counselor, parents, children, caregivers, and other family relatives can receive guidance from a licensed professional, such as marriage and family counselors, who treat mental and emotional disorders within the family system.

Family therapy

Family therapy is a type of counseling focused on strained relationships between relatives. A goal of family therapy could be to resolve conflicts, improve communication, or strengthen relationships. Families might attend family therapy for various reasons, including the following: 

• A child experiencing mental illness or a mental health condition
• Parents going through divorce hoping to support their children's emotional needs
• Parents having conflict impacting their children 
• Sibling rivalry 
• Extended family conflict
• In-law conflict 
• Family planning concerns 
• Infertility concerns 
• Polyamorous polycule therapy 
• A child experiencing bullying or school issues 
• Adoption or foster care support 
• Adult children of parents hoping to discuss conflicts 

How family therapy supports families

Family systems therapy can be tailored to many families and support each individual, as well as the group as a whole. The American Psychological Association (APA) has found that about half of marriages end in divorce, which can be a common topic in family therapy. In addition, divorce is a cause of childhood post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in some children, so addressing it early on in family therapy can be beneficial in minimizing behavioral problems, emotional problems, and other mental health conditions.

Types of family therapy

Couples and family therapy can have advantages in treating mental and emotional disorders, and there are many types of counselors and mental health professionals, such as mental health counselors, specializing in relationships. Learning more about these types of family therapy, including psychotherapy and family systems, can help you understand which type of family therapy treatment might work best for your family and improve overall physical health. 

Strategic family therapy

Strategic family therapy is a structured approach and involves several stages of counseling across therapy sessions, including: 

• Social stage
• Problem stage
• Interactional stage
• Goal setting stage
• Task setting stage

Often, strategic family therapy is utilized for parents experiencing conflict with younger children or addressing adolescent drug use. It is a short form of family therapy that involves replicating conversations or conflicts to develop a unique treatment plan. Family counselors treat both the child and adult family members, believing that a child's mental health and behavior are directly influenced by how the family treats them. By changing the adult family relatives' approaches and enhancing their interpersonal skills, the counselor may be able to support the child along with other members of the family. 

Structural family therapy

Structural family therapy was developed by Salvador Minuchin. In this form of family therapy, providers focus on:

• Interactions of the group as a whole rather than individuals 
• "Matrix of identity," a term for the unique connections between family relatives
• Family structure connected to social interactions 
• Family responding to structure and changes in the dynamic 
• Position of a counselor in supporting the family as they develop, grow, and improve

Structural family therapy works more on a specific family structure and how to bring forth a framework that works for everyone.

Systems family therapy

Systems family therapy considers the development of various family systems, encompassing family life relationships within a family system, and community involvement. For example, it looks at how two people within a family unit interact and how that impacts the unit as a whole. It can also look at how society and outside influences impact families nationwide. The counselor can guide the family in creating healthier systems by understanding these details and working with clients to foster positive change in their family functioning. 

Functional family therapy

Functional family therapy is a short-term form of therapy focusing on at-risk youth within a family. This form of therapy specifically addresses behaviors such as running away, breaking curfew, truancy, or mental health concerns affecting other relatives and the family as a whole. Counselors aim to identify issues and patterns in how a family functions that may have contributed to a child’s behavior and facilitate positive relationships and development to help the child overcome these challenges.

Narrative family therapy

Narrative family therapy focuses on roleplay, story creation, and development of goals related to a family unit's hopes for the future. By creating stories and acting them out, families can learn to rewrite their narrative to a healthier structure. The counselor can guide them and ask them how they might feel if their goals were reality.

Transgenerational family therapy

Transgenerational family therapy addresses the differences between generations within a family unit and how those differences may cause conflict. The counselor can look for behavioral challenges in children or how the parents enforce rules. Based on how each group interacts with their generation, miscommunications may arise. The counselor can bridge the gap between parent and child. 

In this type of family therapy, generational trauma may also be addressed. This type of trauma involves lessons or behaviors passed down through multiple generations of parents. By addressing these patterns in family therapy, parents and caregivers can replace them with healthier patterns to break the cycle for their children. 

Communication-based family therapy

Communication-based marital and family therapy addresses communication patterns between children, parents, and relatives. The counselor can teach clients skills like active listening, speaking with "I" statements, and practicing empathy. In addition, if there are communication issues due to cultural differences, adoption, fostering, or generational factors, the counselor can address these in their strategies. 

If families constantly argue, leave emotions on the back burner, or invalidate each other, the counselor can help them discover the potential causes behind these communication barriers. As suppressing emotions can harm emotional and physical health, counselors can help clients fully express themselves in a safe environment. 

Bowenian counseling for communication

Family therapist & family therapy overview

Families are often the primary support system for individuals and their family members. With the importance of family connections, mental health, and physical health may be impacted by unhealthy dynamics. Communicating healthily with family relatives can also help you learn healthy patterns in your other relationships. In addition, family therapy may heal bonds between parent and child in cases where they are broken. 

A few reasons you might benefit from a family counselor can include the following: 

• A child experiencing school performance challenges 
• An unexpected loss of a family relative or family friend 
• Domestic violence
• A family member experiencing a chronic illness
• A significant trauma that impacts everyone in the family, such as relocation, a natural disaster, or the incarceration of someone in the family
• Family adjustments, whether it be a new sibling, a grandparent in the home, or foster children
• Marital problems between parents
• Divorce or licensing a new marriage
• Parental conflict
• Child trauma 

Finding family therapy

Many peer-reviewed studies have demonstrated the efficacy of marriage and family therapy. However, finding a counselor can be a complex process if you, a primary care doctor, or other professionals in your life have determined that family therapy could benefit you. When searching, seek a professional with a master's or doctoral degree with clinical experience in working with relatives, couples, or families. You can search online, ask for a doctor's referral, or ask family and friends for advice. You may also use the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) directory and published content to find licensed marriage and family professionals within the association who use family therapy to treat families and couples.

Once you find a counselor for family therapy, ask them the following screening questions: 

• What is your approach for treating similar concerns to mine? 
• Do you target conflicts by targeting past or present issues? 
• What role do you play in your sessions? 
• Do you have certification from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)?
• How long have you been practicing marriage and family therapy?
• Is this a child-centered type of therapy, or does it focus on the group as a whole? 
• How long do sessions take? 
• What is your cost per session, and how long are those sessions?

By asking these questions, you can screen counselors before making a choice. Family therapy has been proven effective for many concerns, so considering the benefits of family counseling for your family can prove advantageous. 

Mental health therapy for families

You can find a counselor for family therapy through various methods, including a referral from your primary care physician or an online search. However, there are alternative options if you are struggling to find services in person. For example, many individuals and couples seek online family therapy, which offers a reachable, flexible, and modern way to receive support for prospective clients. 

Family therapy online

Although many online platforms do not offer family therapy counseling online, couples and individual counselors with a master's degree are available in the thousands. You can choose a time slot that works best for you through an online platform, including after standard business hours. In addition, online family therapy is a cost-effective option for those struggling to afford in-person therapy. According to the occupational outlook handbook from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for counselors, particularly mental health and family counselors, is quite promising. Labor statistics indicate a faster-than-average growth rate in this profession as the demand for mental health services continues to rise. As counselors develop their organizational skills, they can better manage their practices and provide efficient online therapy services to their clients.

Studies have found that internet-based interventions are especially effective for those seeking individual support with family conflicts involving long-term stress or mental illness. You can sign up for a platform like BetterHelp for individuals or Regain for couples to meet with one of over 30,000 therapists licensed to provide relationship and family advice or support.