On many occasions, when families come for consultation, they ask themselves the following question: When my child has problems, do I go to a family or individual therapist?
A problem can include any type of symptom or situation that the family does not have the capacity to resolve on its own, as well as with its own strategies. Thus, there are situations in which families do not know how to solve the problem or symptom of their child. We are talking about situations such as school failure, attention or behavioral problems, social problems, school bullying, excessive shyness, eating disorders, fears, aggressiveness and anxiety, excessive irritability, drug use, divorce, grief…
Situations such as the above can appear as part of the development of any young person, although they become a serious problem when they appear uncontrolled and in excess, affecting the young person’s environment as well as his or her daily life.
Family therapy, better than individual therapy
My professional experience in the field of family therapy and individual therapy makes me opt for a family intervention. Family therapy gives each member of the family the opportunity to present his or her vision, thus becoming participants in the search for possible solutions. This is one of the great advantages of family therapy, since apart from the possibility of all members contributing solutions, the risk of future relapses will be lower.
Thanks to family therapy, the specialist can assess whether or not there is a need for an individual intervention of the patient or if the work of the family is sufficient. However, it should be clear that an individual intervention is NOT necessary in all cases, although it can speed up the patient’s recovery process, as well as minimize the family’s time and money expenses.
Thus, family therapy provides the family with the necessary tools to successfully solve the problems that arise within the family system, making them stronger and more autonomous.
If during the family intervention, the specialist considers that the patient needs individual support for the patient, he/she will let the family know, and these sessions can be interspersed with individual sessions as needed.
For more information about family therapy and individual therapy, consult with a specialist in Psychology.