What is family therapy?
When going through a separation, families experience different challenges with parenting arrangements. Sometimes to better address these challenges the court will order different therapeutic treatment approaches. One such approach is Family Therapy. Let’s look at what that is…>
The Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT) says that family therapy helps people in a close relationship help each other as it enables family members, couples and others who care about each other to express and explore difficult thoughts and emotions safely, to understand each other’s experiences and views, appreciate each other’s needs, build on strengths and make useful changes in their relationships and their lives.
Furthermore, individuals can find Family Therapy helpful, as an opportunity to reflect on important relationships and find ways forward.
Research shows that Family Therapy is useful for children, young people and adults experiencing a wide range of difficulties and experiences.
Psychotherapy can focus either on individual therapy, and the patient-therapist relationship as the way to treat psychological problems e.g. patients focus on their individual symptomatic behaviours, or, on family therapy. Family Therapy focusses on treatment in a way that allows for social context, communication and relationship to have primary importance in therapy.
Family Therapy involves engaging with the whole family system as a functioning unit. While the individuals in the family are as important in family therapy as in individual therapy, family therapists also deal with the personal relations and interactions of the family members, both inside the family and in the therapeutic system which comprises the family, the therapist, and their broader community.
One such therapeutic program is “Circle of Security”. This program is designed for parents (and carers) of children aged up to 12 years of age, who want to strengthen the bonds with their children and would like support to help their children to build secure relationships. When done in a group (usually of about 10) the facilitators provide information, create discussion, allow for self-reflection, goal setting and learning new skills. The aim is for the participants to gain the confidence to turn negative habits and cycles into positive ones and manage strong emotions constructively.
Need advice?
If you are about to separate or are separated, and have any questions about Family and Relationship Law – contact Michael Lynch Family Lawyers today.
