Strengthening Your Ties with Family Therapy and Marriage Counselling

Marriage and Family Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that addresses the behaviours of all members of the family as a whole, and looks into the way these behaviours affect other members of the family as well as relationships between each family member, and the family dynamic as a whole. Treatments are typically divided between individual therapy time, couples therapy time, and group therapy time.

Family therapy helps to treat a wide variety of problems including marital conflict, parental conflict, alcohol and drug problems, grief, stress, behavioural problems, and in some cases issues of eldercare such as coping with Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Often, family therapy is a short-term solution consisting of approximately 12 sessions. More or less sessions may be required depending on the dynamic of the family and types of problems. Generally, the therapy starts first with a meeting of the entire family at once in order for the therapist to learn about the family as a whole. From there, they may split off into individual or couples sessions.

Family therapy primarily focuses on how each individual’s behaviour affects their relationships with the other members of the family. The process is goal-oriented and works towards an established end result.

If you are looking for a counselling to work through family therapy with you and your family, look for a licenced counsellor with specialized training in family therapy approaches. One of the most important (and possible most difficult) things will be to find a practitioner who everyone in the family trusts and is comfortable with in a counselling environment.