What is family psychotherapy?
Family psychotherapy or family therapy is a different way of understanding and treating emotional problems and personal or family crises, since it works with the whole family instead of working with its members separately. Even if it is one member who shows the “problem” it is considered more effective therapy if other family members are involved in the therapeutic process.
The sessions are conducted by a psychologist or a therapist trained in family psychotherapy.
Why is it done?
This therapy can help families resolve problems such as:
- Couple crisis
- Divorce processes
- Family violence
- Chronic illnesses
- School difficulties
- Problems in childhood or adolescence
To resolve such difficulties, therapy focuses on reaching a broader understanding of each particular situation in order to enhance the resources of each family and to develop new strategies and ways of communicating. The ultimate goal is to facilitate coexistence and work together in the healthy and effective management of each conflict.
What does it consist of?
Family therapy examines how an individual’s behavior affects relationships with other family members and family dynamics. It consists of:
- Discovering and working on what role each member plays in the family, how they influence each other.
- Creating healthy behavior patterns.
The therapeutic process will depend on the orientation of the therapist, but the usual is:
- An initial session with the whole family, where the problem and the objective to be achieved will be exposed. In this way the family interaction is also observed.
- Subsequently, each member of the family will be interviewed separately, in order to know how each one lives the situation, and to be able to know things that have not come out in the joint session.
- After the individual interviews, most of the sessions will be joint, that is, with all the members, unless the therapist considers it appropriate to have a session with some of them separately. Work will be done according to the plan to achieve the therapeutic objectives.
Family psychotherapy consists of creating a space where empathy and understanding are favored in order to improve communication, solve problems and find ways to work together. Many times family therapy will not eliminate all problems, but it provides family members with strategies and skills to overcome difficulties together in a healthy way.
Preparation for family psychotherapy
Before coming to the consultation each member has to reflect on some aspects, with the aim of creating a disposition before starting the therapy:
- Think about what you want to change in your relationship with your family. Set realistic goals. Don’t focus on how the other person has to change.
- Think about how you can change and commit to it.
- Take some responsibility for the problem.
- Don’t blame other family members, act as you know how and how you can.
- Do not expect quick changes. Therapy is a long process, it is not easy, but it is worth it.
- Don’t wait for the therapist to tell you what to do, or who is right and who is wrong. A good therapist will remain neutral.