Everything You Need to Know About Family Therapy
Check out this blog to understand family therapy, including types, risks, and how to find a family therapist.
In today’s world, several people seek family therapy to improve relationships and resolve conflicts within the family structure. Family therapy is an approach to improving relationships among family members. It helps families affected by mental health and functioning issues. By taking this talk therapy, people may help treat behavioral or mental health issues.
This comprehensive guide explores valuable information on family therapy, including what it is, its types, finding a family therapist, and more.
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What is family therapy?
You may need to understand family therapy before deciding to pursue it. We explore the required information about family therapy.
Family therapy is a practice of talk therapy (psychotherapy) that helps family members improve their relationships. This talk therapy helps family members treat specific issues associated with behavioral or mental health, such as substance use disorder. This therapy can include any combination of family members.
A group of families can consist of many different combinations of members, like parents and their children, grandparents, aunts & uncles, siblings, friends, kinship caregivers, etc. This therapy may help with different situations such as aging-related changes and challenges, adjusting to a new life change or a medical disorder, death & grief, and some relationship conflicts, including sibling conflicts or parent-child conflicts.
Some families consider taking family therapies to help treat behavioral or mental health issues. Family therapy will take place with a trained and licensed mental health professional like a psychologist, therapist, or counselor. These health professionals have specialized knowledge in working with families. Family therapies are considered excellent for improving function and well-being.
Types of Family Therapy
There are several different types of family therapy. Each therapy varies widely based on therapy length, techniques, and treatment options. Several forms of therapies are used by mental health professionals and other professionals. Below are the most common types of family therapy.
Functional family therapy (FFT)
One of the most common types of family therapy is functional family therapy (FFT). FFT provides evidence-based family counseling for youth and their families who are troubled with problematic behavior. Trained psychologists or therapists will use the FFT for children who are at or already involved in violence, crime, or substance abuse. This therapy helps children affected by problematic behavior improve communication and parenting skills.
Marriage counseling/couples therapy
Marriage counseling/couples therapy, also called couples therapy, is a type of therapy for you and your spouse or romantic partner. This therapy is beneficial for romantic partners or couples. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) do this therapy to help you and your spouse or romantic partner determine their problems and work on solutions. This therapy may be beneficial for couples who want to solve their issues associated with communication, finances, raising children, understanding your or your spouse's mental health condition, and more. Apart from this, in this therapy, you and your spouse or romantic partner strengthen your relationship and develop ways of relating to each other.
Strategic family therapy
Strategic family therapy is another type of family therapy. This therapy can be considered excellent for making positive structural and behavioral changes in the family environment. It is a short-term family therapy that helps families make behavioral and structural changes. It is often used to assist families with children who have problematic behavior issues.
Trained psychologists or therapists will take place in strategic family therapy and focus on identifying and addressing problematic interaction patterns, helping the family change those patterns by developing plans, and supporting interactions.
Structural family therapy
Another type of family therapy is structural family therapy. This type of family therapy covers improving communication and family structure. This therapy usually focuses on the interactions between family members. It assists families in identifying family interactions by identifying the organization of that family setting.
Systemic family therapy
Systemic family therapy is a type of family therapy that assists family members in understanding and improving their relationships. It is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on family and other relationships of an individual. Several people consider taking this therapy to help them communicate in a non-judgmental way. This therapy is generally considered to address issues of family in the different contexts in which they live.
Finding a Family Therapist or Physiologist
A family therapist is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), but they are known as psychologists, social workers, or counselors. With so many family therapists or physiologists available on the market, finding a trained family therapist or physiologist can be challenging. Here is information on finding a family physiologist or therapist.
Start by a trained therapist:
You may start by talking to people you trust to give a referral for a therapist. This may also help you find the best family therapy therapist.
Search online:
You may also find family therapists or psychologists online through local and state psychological associations.
Consider certifications and experience:
When you find the best family therapy, it’s essential to select a mental health professional who is state-certified and licensed. Also, you should check their specialized knowledge in working with families.
Risks of Family Therapy
Here are the common risks of family therapy. Before choosing it, read its associated risks.
- Being open and honest with the physiologist or therapist
- Are committed to making all positive changes
- Following your therapist's agreed-upon treatment plan
- To be fully prepared for therapy, it is important to commit to the process and complete any homework assignments given.
Conclusion:
Family therapy has become an ideal way for families aiming to improve their relationships and resolve conflicts. Several families take different types of family therapies. FFT, marriage counseling/couples therapy, structural family therapy, systemic family therapy, and strategic family therapy are the common types of family therapies.
This is a guide to family therapy. It’s recommended to read all aspects of family therapy before deciding. Try an online search to learn more about family therapy.
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