David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Family therapy
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Oct. 10, 2009
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy. Through family therapy, families or individuals within a family learn better ways to interact with each other and resolve conflicts. If your family is feeling torn apart, family therapy may help you heal.
Family therapy is usually provided by clinical social workers or licensed therapists known as marriage and family therapists. These therapists have graduate or postgraduate degrees ? and many choose to become credentialed by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Family therapy is often short term. Family therapy may include all family members or just those most able to participate. The specific treatment plan will depend on your family's situation.
Why it's done
In general, anyone who wants to improve troubled relationships can benefit from family therapy. You can use family therapy to address many specific issues, such as marital and financial problems, conflict between parents and children, and the effects of substance abuse and depression on the entire family.
Your family may pursue family therapy along with other types of mental health treatment, especially if one of you has a serious mental illness or chemical dependence that also requires intense individual therapy or rehabilitation treatment.
For example, family therapy can help family members cope if a relative has schizophrenia ? but the person who has schizophrenia should continue with his or her individualized treatment plan, such as medication and possibly hospitalization. In the case of addiction, the family can attend family therapy while the person who has an addiction participates in residential treatment. Sometimes the family may participate in family therapy even if the addicted person hasn't sought out his or her own treatment.
How you prepare
The only preparation needed for family therapy is to find a therapist. You can ask your primary care doctor for a referral to a marriage and family therapist. Family and friends may give recommendations based on their experiences. Your health insurer, employee assistance program, clergy, or state or local mental health agencies also may offer recommendations.
Before scheduling sessions with a specific therapist, consider whether the therapist would be a good fit for your family. You might ask questions like these:
Family therapy typically brings entire families together for therapy sessions. However, family members may also see a family therapist individually.
Working with a therapist, you'll examine your family's ability to solve problems and express thoughts and emotions. You may explore family roles, rules and behavior patterns in order to identify issues that contribute to conflict ? as well as ways to work through these issues. Family therapy may help you identify your family's strengths, such as caring for one another, and weaknesses, such as difficulty confiding in one another.
Family therapy is often short term ? typically less than six months. The specific treatment plan will depend on your family's situation.
For example, say that your adult son has depression. Your family doesn't understand his depression or how best to offer support. Although you're worried about your son's health, you have such profound family conflicts that conversations ultimately erupt into arguments. You're left with hurt feelings, communication diminishes, decisions go unmade, and the rift grows wider.
In such a situation, family therapy can help you pinpoint your specific concerns and assess how your family is handling them. Guided by your therapist, you'll learn new ways to interact and overcome unhealthy patterns of relating to each other. You may set individual and family goals and work on ways to achieve them. In the end, your son may be better equipped to cope with his depression, and the entire family may achieve a sense of understanding and togetherness.
References
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Oct. 10, 2009
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy. Through family therapy, families or individuals within a family learn better ways to interact with each other and resolve conflicts. If your family is feeling torn apart, family therapy may help you heal.
Family therapy is usually provided by clinical social workers or licensed therapists known as marriage and family therapists. These therapists have graduate or postgraduate degrees ? and many choose to become credentialed by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).
Family therapy is often short term. Family therapy may include all family members or just those most able to participate. The specific treatment plan will depend on your family's situation.
Why it's done
In general, anyone who wants to improve troubled relationships can benefit from family therapy. You can use family therapy to address many specific issues, such as marital and financial problems, conflict between parents and children, and the effects of substance abuse and depression on the entire family.
Your family may pursue family therapy along with other types of mental health treatment, especially if one of you has a serious mental illness or chemical dependence that also requires intense individual therapy or rehabilitation treatment.
For example, family therapy can help family members cope if a relative has schizophrenia ? but the person who has schizophrenia should continue with his or her individualized treatment plan, such as medication and possibly hospitalization. In the case of addiction, the family can attend family therapy while the person who has an addiction participates in residential treatment. Sometimes the family may participate in family therapy even if the addicted person hasn't sought out his or her own treatment.
How you prepare
The only preparation needed for family therapy is to find a therapist. You can ask your primary care doctor for a referral to a marriage and family therapist. Family and friends may give recommendations based on their experiences. Your health insurer, employee assistance program, clergy, or state or local mental health agencies also may offer recommendations.
Before scheduling sessions with a specific therapist, consider whether the therapist would be a good fit for your family. You might ask questions like these:
- Education and experience. What is your educational and training background? Are you licensed by the state? Are you credentialed by the AAMFT? What is your experience with my family's type of problem?
- Logistics. Where is your office? What are your office hours? Are you available in case of emergency?
- Treatment plan. How long is each session? How often are sessions scheduled? How many sessions should I expect to have? What is your policy on canceled sessions?
- Fees and insurance. How much do you charge for each session? Are your services covered by my health insurance plan? Will I need to pay the full fee upfront?
Family therapy typically brings entire families together for therapy sessions. However, family members may also see a family therapist individually.
Working with a therapist, you'll examine your family's ability to solve problems and express thoughts and emotions. You may explore family roles, rules and behavior patterns in order to identify issues that contribute to conflict ? as well as ways to work through these issues. Family therapy may help you identify your family's strengths, such as caring for one another, and weaknesses, such as difficulty confiding in one another.
Family therapy is often short term ? typically less than six months. The specific treatment plan will depend on your family's situation.
For example, say that your adult son has depression. Your family doesn't understand his depression or how best to offer support. Although you're worried about your son's health, you have such profound family conflicts that conversations ultimately erupt into arguments. You're left with hurt feelings, communication diminishes, decisions go unmade, and the rift grows wider.
In such a situation, family therapy can help you pinpoint your specific concerns and assess how your family is handling them. Guided by your therapist, you'll learn new ways to interact and overcome unhealthy patterns of relating to each other. You may set individual and family goals and work on ways to achieve them. In the end, your son may be better equipped to cope with his depression, and the entire family may achieve a sense of understanding and togetherness.
References
- FAQ's on MFT's. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. FAQs about Marriage and Family Therapy for the Public
- Marriage and family therapists: The family-friendly mental health professionals. American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. http://www.aamft.org/Press_Room/MFT Brochure 7-03.htm
- Gurman AS, et al. Family therapy and couple therapy. In: Sadock BJ, et al. Kaplan & Sadock's Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005:2584.
- Psychotherapies. National Institute of Mental Health. NIMH · Psychotherapies
- Jager MW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 4, 2009.
