About the History of Family Therapy
Individual psychotherapy is sought for a number of reasons, one of which is family problems. Families can have a powerful effect on an individual's behavior. As such, seeking individual treatment may not be sufficient. Changes may need to be made in one's family for progress to occur. Family therapy allows the patient and the patient's family to address specific issues or events that may be causing the tension or hindering the patient's recovery.
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Features
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Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy that includes members of the patient's immediate, and sometimes extended, family. Weekly therapy sessions generally last 45 to 50 minutes and may be conducted by one or more therapists. These sessions are focused on specific issues and tend to require several months of treatment to be resolved.
Considerations
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Family therapy is only beneficial if members are willing to participate. The purpose is to help families adjust to a change in the family. Helping families adjust to a new baby or a divorce could result from family therapy. It is not recommended for families with long-term dysfunction.
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History
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Initially, the treatment of psychological conditions was provided through the relationship between a patient and doctor. In the 1950s, this treatment was extended to include the patient's family as well. This occurred as the influence of the patient's family came to be recognized as a significant contributor to the progress of the patient. For example, social workers were able to obtain a wealth of information by visiting homes and interviewing each family member. Family therapy came to be provided by social workers as well as psychologists, psychiatrists and even pastors.
Function
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Family therapy allows a therapist to examine the behavior and role of the patient in the family and vice versa. A major benefit of observing this interaction is the opportunity to form an objective assessment of the family as opposed to the purely subjective opinion provided by a patient during individual sessions. Patients may misinterpret what a family member said or how it was said. Family members may be oblivious to the effect of their words or actions on the patient. The therapist's role is to facilitate the interaction while maintaining a safe environment to do so.
Effects
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The goal of family therapy is to establish and strengthen healthy relationships among within families. This leads to many people obtaining therapy who may not have otherwise on an individual basis. It also promotes prevention of future dysfunction. From a managed care point of view, family therapy is cost efficient, since treatment is provided to a number of individuals in one session as opposed to several individual sessions. It also tends to require fewer weekly sessions overall than individual psychotherapy.
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