What is family therapy?
Family therapy in a form of psychotherapy that helps families in their difficulties arising from the differences between each of the members. The family psychotherapy systemic (usually called family therapy ) provides resources to people in close relationships to help each other. It allows family members to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions in a safe environment, understand each other’s experiences and points of view, appreciate the needs of the other, and build on firmer foundations and make useful changes in their relationships and relationships. their lives.
What are the goals of family therapy?
The family therapy sessions aim to correct certain family dynamics that have become the source of difficulties, modifying the interactions between family members that aggravate or perpetuate the problem. That is, unlike individual therapy, it is not about changes of each individual (these are secondary) but about changes in the family system of interaction.
“The patient is the family and the interaction of its members, and the individual member is rather the symptom of a sick system.”
In family therapy, we work with problems in which there is not necessarily any pathology, such as depression or alcoholism in one of the members. Rather, it is about patterns of dysfunctional relationships and lacks in the emotional bonds that cause a general malaise or the feeling that the family gradually disintegrates (disinterest, little or no coexistence or constant discussions).
Frequent reasons for consulting family therapy:
- problems in family communication
- difficulties in the behavior of children or adolescents
- mental health problems
- couple problems (learning to separate what are couple problems and family problems)
- illnesses and handicap in the family
- separation, divorce, and life with putative parents (adoptive family)
- anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders
- domestic violence
- inappropriate use of drugs or alcohol
- effects of trauma
- difficulties related to aging
- abortions
- mourning and loss (deaths, “empty nest”)
- difficulty in making important decisions
Sometimes, also the expected crises of the usual development of a family life can be complicated and cause deterioration in family relationships. Family therapy can be very helpful. These critical stages are: marriage or union, pregnancy, and accommodation to be three, the birth of the first child, the schooling of the children, puberty and adolescence of the children, the departure of the children of the house, the called empty nest, labor retirement, old age, widowhood and death. Other crises, which although they do not happen to others family systems, can destabilize the family: such as a kidnapping, a period of unemployment, an unexpected death, a change of city or country, etc. Consult a family psychologist if you have any questions, or know more about the specialized therapy in the family.
For whom is family therapy indicated?
Every family can benefit from family therapy. It is not always easy to know if the most convenient is a guide for parents, therapy for the whole family, either with certain family members or just a couple of the members. Sometimes, even if it is a problem that only one member of the family suffers (alcoholism), family intervention can greatly benefit the affected person, in addition to helping the family to understand how to relate to the best way with the alcoholic person. If you have any doubts about this type of decision, do not hesitate to ask us about it and we will gladly guide you: check here.
