What is family therapy?
Family therapy is a type of psychological counselling that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts. It is also known as family focus therapy or family systems therapy, works with families to help them deal and manage with a wide range of family problems. It focuses on treating and moulding the way families, and parents interact with the child facing mental health issues. It is not a time-bound process, so its effectiveness depends on the child and family.
It has multiple forms such as teaching coping skills, psychoeducation, behavioural models, structural family therapy, systematic models, and solution-focused therapy.
Why is Family therapy required?
It reduces stress and resolves conflict with regard for the individuality of each family member. If one member of the family is having problems, the entire family is at risk. It helps in strengthening the parent and child bond, and also helps instil faith and confidence in the child dealing with mental issues. The way the family operates influences how the client’s problems are formed and how they are encouraged or enabled by other members of their family. It aims to address psychological, behavioural, and emotional issues that cause family problems.
Family therapy has proven most effective during the childhood and adolescent stages, where it has shown significant improvement among children suffering from anorexia, inattention, hyperactivity and severe long-term illnesses such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolardisorder, drug abuse and anxiety disorders among others. Family therapy can be very effective in a wide range of psychiatric conditions.
Benefits of family counselling
The benefits of counselling vary from family to family, but they can include:
- Developing healthy boundaries
- Improving communication
- defining someone’s role within the family
- Improving family dynamics and relationships
- Provide strength and coping tools for family members
- Addressing dysfunctional interactions
- Improving the family’s problem-solving abilities
We at Veda Rehabilitation Center believe that family plays a vital role in the overall sustained well-being of the client. We approach family members individually and as a group and counsel them about the issues of the client and their effects on their family. We also help bridge communication and teach ways to maintain cohesion in the family. We at Veda have well-trained and experienced family therapists to improve the family dynamics and address the dysfunctional ways of addressing and coping with the problems.