What is Family Therapy?

Family Therapy can involve a whole family or several members at any time, ranging in age from young babies to elderly people. As defined by Wikipedia, Family Therapy is also referred to as Couple and Family Therapy and Family Systems Therapy. It is a branch of therapy that works with families and couples to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of interaction between family members. It emphasises family relationship as an important factor in psychological health.

All the schools of family therapy have a belief in common: that, regardless of how the problem presents, and regardless of whether the clients consider it an individual or family issue, involving families in solutions is often beneficial. The skills of the family therapist include the ability to influence conversations in a way that catalyses the strengths, wisdom and support of the wider system.

In Family Therapy's early years, many therapists defined the family in a traditional manner including parents and children. As the field has evolved, the concept of the family is more commonly defined in terms of strongly supportive, long term roles and relationships between people who may or may not be related by blood.

Am I crazy?

Coming to therapy does not mean that you are crazy; just that you have decided to explore new ways of dealing with what life is offering you, or that you know you would benefit from some support in dealing with things. Regardless of the family we grew up in, there is still room for learning new skills such as effective communication, conflict resolution and stress management.

If there are some particularly stressful events happening in your life, or you have experienced loss or trauma, you may feel like you have a tentative grip on your sanity. This is natural and normal and seeking support as soon as possible is a good idea.