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Types of Family Therapy

Family psychology isn’t just one approach to solving issues within a family. Each family is unique and needs its own approach. In most cases, the family psychologist may combine different approaches. Just a few of the accepted approaches are: Cognitive behavioral therapy . Clients are taught to make a connection between emotions and behaviors and learn to change their reaction patterns. Psycho-educational therapy . Family members are taught about mental health issues and given help in learning to deal with them in a more positive manner. Relationship counseling . The various relationships in the family are examined, and people are taught how to communicate in a more productive manner to resolve conflict. Trans-generational therapy . The patterns from current and past generations are examined to show how the past affects not only how individuals relate to each other today but also how they are likely to react in the future if a negative pattern isn’t broken. Systems therapy . This therapy is based on the concept that a family unit is much like any system. Each part is an individual, but all of the parts need to be working well for the system to work. If one family member is experiencing dysfunction, the entire family unit is affected.

Chapter 1: Becoming a Family Psychologist

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