Family Therapy

Family Therapy

Family therapy is also regarded as couple's and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, and it is a subfield of psychotherapy which works with families and couples to foster and nurture change and development. Under this approach, changes are view in term of the system in which the interaction takes place between family members. Family therapy put emphasis on family relationships as a relevant factor in psychological health.

1. The history of the theory,

The practice Family therapy was not developed until the mid 1950's. The basis of family therapy were laid on the earlier theoretical changes and developments in psychology. Family therapy evolved out of psychoanalysis. Today approach to family therapy is to treat the family, not just the individual. Earliest approaches of therapy that prevail in the 20th century focus on individual therapy. Pioneers such as Freud and Rogers considered that since the family shapes a person's personality the most influential force that controls humans is the beliefs that patients had about their families. Since both Freud and Rogers, thought that psychological disorders were the result of neurotic conflicts and destructive interactions in a person's family the best way to treat a patient was to treat the individual isolated from the family influences. That explains why patients were segregated for therapy and treatment. Family therapy helped understand that psychological problems were developed and continue in the social context of a person's family. This provided a new approach to treat patients within his/her inner circle the family and treatment to be extensive to the family. Several of psychology influenced the evolution of family therapy and changed the approach to treat patients from a family approach. Several studies helped the development of family therapy such was the case with a "small group dynamics, the child guidance movement, social work practices, research on family dynamics and the etiology of schizophrenia, and marriage counseling" (Nichols and Schwartz, 1998).

2. Major concepts of the theory,

The key objective of family therapy is to restructure the family system and to create clear and flexible boundaries. This is achieved by therapists using family language and communicational styles that can form a partnership in the circle in a non-judgmental manner. Family therapy focuses on exploring different areas of interaction within the family. For instance, by enacting diverse situations a therapy can teach family different ways to respond to interacting. Therapists also strive to intensify the emotional aspects of interactions. Also, educates the family that when there are conscious attempts to create coalitions in between family members against another member the family system may be off balance;