In order to evoke the most change, family therapy is imperative to the course of treatment. When we describe family, we are referring to anyone whom the client considers family; members don’t have to be blood related. Families give us so much more context than meeting with just the individual. Instead of detaching individuals from what they may consider to be their origins of emotional conflict, problems are addressed at the source. As human beings, we don’t operate in isolation, nor should we. Much like animals, we do far better as part of a group, then when we are left alone.

We are wired to connect with others. That being said, the earliest relationships we form are with our caretakers. Those relationships shape how we view the world and every interaction going forward. If we have poor relations with our family members, it can cause more dysregulation for us as individuals, as well as impact our future relationships. Family therapy isn’t about “being stuck in the past” or blaming others. It is about understanding and learning how to break unhealthy family patterns that can most likely be traced back through previous generations.

 In family therapy, family members learn how to better communicate and understand one another. They learn how to offer support to each other when needed. Oftentimes, we offer support in the best way we know how or what would work for us, however it isn’t always what the other person needs or wants. Families learn how to reduce conflict and improve interactions between each other. The goal of family therapy is not to make the problem go away, but to have the entire family shift, where the family becomes stronger as a result. Some specific goals of family therapy can include:

• Uniting the family after a crisis
  
• Creating trust and empathy between members
  
• Effective communication
  
• Learning healthy boundaries
  
• Relationship building 
  
• Improved parenting techniques
  
• Increase family structure