When Family Therapy is Helpful

People do not exist in a vacuum. They live, play, go to school, and work with others. In particular, research has found that the family has a powerful and profound influence on the physical, emotional, and mental health of its members. We know that the actions of one member of the family affects all other members of the unit.  Similarly the values, rules, and reactions of family members impact the behavior, thoughts,  coping strategies, and feelings of individual members.

Families frequently face challenges during particular developmental periods (e.g., the birth of a child, family transitions, death, job loss). Consequently, it is not uncommon for them to struggle to resolve conflicts and communicate effectively with one another during stressful periods.  We know that even when family members do not live together, all parts of the family are interrelated.