Why is family therapy important?
We are all born into a family. It is the first natural environment that surrounds us. Through our family, we learn to integrate into society, connect with others, experience intimacy, and assert our will. The family environment influences our abilities and expectations. If someone is lucky, it represents a secure foundation for becoming independent and starting a family. The family affects many areas of our lives (from work to the bedroom). It can be a resource, but it can also be the basis of fears and inhibitions. We can experience both in our lifetime.
The consultation with the family creates an opportunity to understand and deal with difficulties in a safe, supportive environment with the help of a trained specialist. Whether it’s about disputes between partners, spouses, or problems that arise during pregnancy, childbirth or raising children, the consultations help. They provide an opportunity for members to work together to understand and overcome their difficulties. They help to process losses and discover the resources in each other and in the environment. Thus an effective way of dealing with conflicts can be obtained.
The development of the genre of family therapy can be traced back to the 1950s. Its roots were in the United States in the field of systems theory, psychoanalysis, and cybernetics. This approach then spread to all of Europe, and later to the rest of the world. Over the years, the views represented have undergone many changes. The latest trends (postmodern, narrative therapy) emphasize treating the family or couple as partners. The reason for this is that they are actually the best experts on their own problems. According to this approach, clients work together with specialists as a team in order to achieve the desired change.
Who benefits the most from family therapy?
Family therapy is an ideal treatment option for example in the case of the following difficulties:
- the child’s problems, e.g. anxiety or difficulty fitting in
- divorce or divorced parents, formation of a new family
- adoption
- sibling jealousy
- disagreements or difficulties with parenting
- illness or loss of a family member Â
- problems related to the behaviour of a family member