Family therapy is a space for personal growth and greater knowledge of the dynamics and feelings, relationships and alliances that exist in any family context. The therapeutic process consists of sessions with all members of the family system together, as well as individual sessions with each member to see different angles of relationship and possible toxic or pathological attachments.
The aim is to be able to evolve each member in a healthy and self-realizing way, and to dissolve or eradicate old unhealthy relationship patterns, as well as to better understand and control the family constellations that come from behind the nuclear family, i.e. grandparents and great-grandparents, chains of affective and relationship styles that sometimes come submerged and that need to be made visible in order to change or improve them.
Who can go to family therapy
It is especially recommended in psychological or psychiatric diagnoses of minors, in cases of problematic adolescence in children and in situations of mourning for the loss of a family member, or divorce with minor children involved, to soften the effect on all of them of such radical changes.
Exercises in family therapy
The tasks usually recommended by experts in psychology in these processes are to exercise and improve communication skills and emotional expression, as well as to organize conscious contact time and family work activities among the different members, designed for this type of situations, taking care of those who somatize more or suffer more.
Duration of family therapy
The duration of this type of therapy varies according to the severity and the deterioration or pathology immersed in the family context, but 10-20 sessions are usually sufficient. In some not very serious cases, 5 sessions may be enough.
Results of family therapy: fostering closeness
The results are usually very favorable, since they promote closeness among the members and allow changing sick relationship structures for other healthier and liberating ones for all of them.
In general, all members grow because they are more aware and have learned other relational dynamics. All of this depends, of course, on their degree of involvement and motivation for change; not everyone is always prepared to face it and there may be resistance or occasional explosions, but in the long run, if they insist and are given time and permanence to attend the sessions, positive results are sure to be achieved.