Family therapy is a term for the many ways of working with families who suffer from problems of biological, psychological and social[1] origin.
What is a family?
A family is a unit of at least two people with fairly complex emotional relationships between its members. This smallest and oldest social institution, which exists to meet its members’ mutual needs, has its own rules, relationships, boundaries and limits. The family is where people’s relationships begin. That is why the relationship between parents and children matters so much: these contacts are a person’s first relationships with another person, and these interactions lay the foundation for our future relationships with others and with society.
The family therapist
Some family therapists believe that all human problems have a relational[2] basis, and so family therapy applies in every case. Others believe that couples therapy[3] and family therapy suit particular relationship problems, or can be used alongside medication in particular conditions such as schizophrenia.
Approaches also differ in the kind of intervention therapists believe in. Some like to invite every family member to every session. Others meet members individually to help them handle their interactions with the rest of the family better, while others try to widen family therapy to take in the broad social and professional network surrounding the family. There are very complex situations that involve or affect every member of the family, and some of them can also affect or involve other members of the community the family belongs to.
[1] relational
[2] marital therapy
[1] Biopsychosocial
Moeen Counselling Centre plans to run specialist family therapist training courses for students and professionals in counselling and psychology, taught by Dr Bahman Bahmani. To hear about course dates and requirements, join our network.
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