What is family therapy?
Family therapy is a form of group psychotherapy (talk therapy) that focuses on the improvement of interfamilial relationships and behaviors.
A family unit is a group of people who care about each other. In family therapy, a group can consist of many different combinations of loved ones, such as parents/guardians and their children, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, kinship caregivers, etc.
Therapy can help with situations such as:
- Adjusting to a new life change (like moving) or a medical condition.
- Changes and challenges that come with aging.
- Death and grief.
- Relationship conflicts, such as parent-child conflict or sibling conflict.
Mental health professionals also use family therapy to help treat certain mental health or behavioral conditions for one person within the family unit. For example, family therapy involving all or multiple members of the family can help treat anorexia for one person in the family.
Family therapy takes place with a trained, licensed mental health professional, such as a psychologist, therapist or counselor, who has specialized knowledge in working with families. Oftentimes, they’re Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs). Therapy can provide support, education and guidance to you and your loved ones to help you function better and increase your well-being.
There are several different types of family therapy that vary widely in terms of therapy length, techniques and treatment goals.
Advertisem*nt
Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy
What are the types of family therapy?
Mental health professionals use several forms of family therapy, and many professionals specialize in certain types. The choice of therapy type depends on your family’s particular needs and circ*mstances. Therapists may combine elements from different therapeutic approaches to best meet your needs.
Some forms of family therapy include:
- Functional family therapy (FFT): Therapists most often use this type to help families with children who have behavioral issues. FFT assesses the family dynamics that have contributed to a child’s problematic behavior, improves family communication and parenting skills, and supports positive reinforcement.
- Marriage counseling/couples therapy: This therapy involves you and your spouse or romantic partner. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) are specifically trained to help couples determine their problems and work on solutions. Issues may be related to communication, raising children, finances, understanding your or your partner’s mental health condition and more.
- Strategic family therapy: This is a short-term family therapy that focuses on making positive structural and behavioral changes in the family environment. It’s based on the foundation that the family plays the most important role in the life and development of children. Therapists may use this therapy form for families with children who have behavioral issues.
- Structural family therapy: This type of therapy looks at the inner relationships, boundaries and hierarchies within a family unit (its structure). It focuses on direct interactions among your family members as the primary way to bring about positive change. The main foundation of structural family therapy is that when guided by a therapist, families will discover their own alternatives to their problematic patterns of relating to one another.
- Systemic family therapy: The foundation of systemic family therapy is considering the family’s issues in the different contexts in which they live. For example, the therapist will consider how one family member functions as a partner in a romantic relationship, as a parent and as a child to their parents. Context also includes cultural, religious and political views, and socio-economic status. This approach regards context as having the most significance for your psychological development and emotional well-being.
For families who are participating in therapy due to a mental health condition, psychoeducation is a crucial part of the therapy. Psychoeducation is the way that mental health professionals teach people and their families about mental health conditions. It involves basic information about the condition, causes, treatment and prognosis (outlook).
What issues can family therapy help fix?
Families attend therapy for several different reasons. Problems that family therapy can help fix include (but aren’t limited to):
- Strained relationships between family members.
- Stress.
- Anger.
- Communication issues.
- Trauma (physical or emotional).
- Coping with acute or chronic illness of a family member, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, stroke, chronic pain or an autoimmune disease.
- The death of a loved one and grief.
- Divorce or romantic relationship issues.
- Coping with sudden changes, such as unemployment, moving or incarceration.
Family therapy can be beneficial if a family member has any of the following mental health conditions:
- Anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia.
- Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder and depression.
- Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder.
- Schizophrenia.
- Substance use disorder.
It can also help childhood behavioral conditions, such as:
- Conduct disorder.
- Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD).
- Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).
Families who have neurodivergent members, such as someone with autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also often participate in therapy.
Advertisem*nt
How do I find a family therapist?
A family therapist is usually a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), but they can also be a psychologist, social worker or counselor.
Finding the right therapist is often a time-consuming task. Try not to become discouraged. Talk to people you trust to give you a referral for a therapist, whether it’s your primary healthcare provider or a friend or family member.
You can also search for family therapists online through local and state psychological associations.
Be sure that any family therapist you’re interested in seeing is a state-certified and licensed mental health professional and that they have experience in treating your area of concern, such as divorce or childhood behavioral conditions.
Most therapists’ websites list the conditions and situations they help treat. If you have questions, call or email the therapist’s office before you choose.
It may be helpful to ask a potential therapist the following questions:
- How long have you been providing therapy?
- What type of therapy do you recommend for my family?
- How much time will you initially ask my family to commit to the entire therapy process?
