Family Therapy Approach

The family therapy movement spread its roots in the mid-1900s. The theory behind this approach was that the psychological symptoms did not solely arise within an individual, but were a result of the dysfunctional families that an individual lives in (Pomerantz, 2013). This approach is an evidence-based and it is being recognized in therapeutic interventions like the other more known therapeutic approaches. The following paper is based on explaining family therapy from the various other therapeutic approaches that are in use from the early days till today. The paper will explore in detail what family therapy is, some of the assessments used in this approach, how it is better than some other therapeutic approaches and some of the limitations
Ecomap: An ecomap represents the relationships between the family and the social network they are embedded in. This map helps the therapist understand the stability of the network and how readily the resources are available or deprived from the family. Similar to the genogram, in the ecomap also the relationships are represented with arrows and lines, and circles are used to denote the several systems as shown in Figure 2 below (Ecomap, n.d.).
3. Family life cycle: This model created by Betty Carter and Monica McGoldrick (1989) is used to assess the family developmental stages. The stages are as follows:
• Leaving home: single young adults accept emotional and financial responsibility for themselves. During this stage the seeds to forming new intimate relationships are planted.
• Joining of families through marriage: a new family system starts with the marriage of two people and the spouse gets integrated in to the existing system.
• Families with young children (2.5 to 6yrs): at this stage adjustment has to be made to make space for the children. Financial as well as other responsibilities become the primary
1. Triangles: This is a technique used in Bowen Family Systems theory in which a third party is used to stabilize a conflict. This third party acts more like a lawyer who is trying to solve a conflict between the other two parties (Migueis, 2014). A typical and very common example of triangulation involves children acting as a third party, especially in divorce or custody cases where they are asked to choose sides between the two parents. This can impact the children psychologically too. Hence the family therapists help the opposing parties to resolve their conflict without involving the children.
2. Solution-focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): This is a goal-oriented therapy where the focus is on the person’s present and future situations and achieving the goals. The therapy progresses by knowing that the clients already know what they need to change in their lives. Three different types of questions are used in this therapy (GoodTherapy.org, 2016).
• Coping questions: these questions help the clients to understand the numerous coping strategies they can