Family Therapy

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Family psychotherapy is a confidential weekly meeting with the psychologist where families come to discuss problems they are having in within their family.  A family can consist of parents, step-parents, blood relatives, or as individuals who are currently assuming parental roles or is considered by you as part of your immediate or extended family.  Sometimes one or more members of the family are identified by the rest of the family as the reason family therapy is necessary.  Although the attitudes, behaviors, or beliefs of the person identified as the problem (the identified patient) may be the topic of family sessions, the focus of family therapy is on the dynamics and relationships between family members.

Family therapy, because of the dynamics involved in a typical session, are almost always 90 minutes to two hours in length.  

You should be aware of the possibility for potential family and/or marital strain that may occur during therapy.  Family secrets may be told.  Therapy may disrupt a couple or marital relationship or divide a family, and sometimes may even lead to separation or divorce. Sometimes, too, it is possible for a the identified patient’s problems to worsen immediately after beginning family therapy. Most of these risks are to be expected when people are making important changes in their lives and can and often do improve as therapy progresses..