Treatment of more than one member of a family in the same session. The treatment may be supportive, directive, or interpretive. The assumption is that a mental disorder in one member of a family may be a manifestation of disorders or problems in other members and may affect interrelationships and functioning.
A form of group therapy in which members of a family are helped to relate better to one another.
A type of psychotherapy where members of the family of a person with a disorder meet a therapist to discuss the condition and try to come to terms with it.
In psychiatry, treatment that focuses on the individual as a family member; in the same session two or more family members or the whole family may meet together with the therapist to discover how the various family members interact.
A form of psychological counseling that focuses on the entire family rather than an individual and is based on the belief that a person’s emotional problems can best be understood and treated in the context of family behavior and communications. For example, depression in an adolescent child may be viewed as a response to family issues, such as marital stress between the parents, rather than as a mental illness affecting only one person. A variety of therapeutic techniques can be used, including behavioral, cognitive, and interpersonal. Family therapy is used by psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and other mental health workers in the treatment of a wide variety of emotional problems and mental illnesses.
Treatment of the members of a family together, rather than as individual patients. The family unit is viewed as a social system important to all of its members.
Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy designed to support individuals with mental health issues, focusing not just on the individual, but also involving the entire family. The therapist coordinates regular sessions with the family, fostering dialogue and comprehension, and seeking to uncover the emotions that govern how family members interact in their daily lives. The fundamental concept of family therapy is the belief that enhancing the functionality of the family as a whole can positively impact an individual’s health.