Therapy for you and your family

​Family therapy&Marriage/Couples Counseling

Is a structured form of psychotherapy that tends to reduce distress and conflict by improving the systems of interactions between family members, to encourage an open dialogue between partners regarding mental health challenges as individuals, as well as their relationship.

All families have some helpful and some unhelpful dynamics.

Family Therapy is a long multi–stage process, but helps in solving main tasks:

1. To determine the "range of problems in which the family is at the moment" (what is the essence of the family troubles and the main reasons).

2. To identify the goals of the family and possible compromises that the family can achieve.

3. To formulate the steps for the desired future.

4. To choose the direction of change (what to do, in what direction to move and how?).

5. To make a therapy plan – how to help the family/client achieve what they want.

What kind of stages of working with family/client?

1. Start sessions, definition of a request for a family/client session, description of the main problem and desired changes. During the sessions, the therapist takes turns asking the family members formulated questions:

• How does the family see their current problem?

• What is the situation in the family now?

• How did the family cope with difficulties and problems before?

• How does the family interact with each other about the current problem? It is necessary to clarify the circles of interaction at the level of behaviour, at the level of thoughts and feelings:

• What system of understanding the problem and the cause of it's occurrence operates in the family?

• What are the key trigger situations? (For example, if a partner comes home late after work, then a fight is going to happen.)

• What will be the worst scenario of the situation?

• How can the problem be improved/aggravated?

• What are the positive aspects of the problem?

• Why exactly is this problem occurring in the family at the moment?

• What reasons and actions led to the aggravation of the problem?

• How has this cycle changed over time?

• How have the methods used by the family changed the solution of the problem?

• How have these methods affected the problem?

• What will happen to the family in the future if this problem persists?

2. Analysis of the problem: the alleged cause of the problem.

3. Identification of previous ways and methods of solving the problem. What ways worked out and what didn't ?

4. Genogram of the family system. Family tree - data from family history from the family members. Structure and interrelationships of the key family events.

* Family life stories, family values, material conception of the family and relationships both within the family and with the external world. This information can be collected completely only during long-term therapy.

5. Determination of the stage of the family life cycle. The most important tasks and challenges the family faces at the moment.

6. The structure of the family at the current moment (roles, tasks of partners in all spheres, their goals, values, communication strategies and personal boundaries).

7. Compilation of behavioural sequences by the therapist. A "repeating circle" involving symptomatic repeating behaviour of family members.

8. Identification of pros and cons of changes for family members.

9. Therapeutic hypothesis about the main problems structure of the family, including the possible transfer of the ancestral family system to the life of the client's family.

10. Feedback. Coordination of understanding the spectrum of true individual tasks of each partner.

11. End of the session. Conclusion of agreements on individual and paired long-term work with clients. Session cycle planning.

12. Possible stages of therapy and intermediate goals.

13.Therapeutic procedures, homework and exercises.

*If one of the family members or partners doubt the necessity of the therapy, it is recommended to continue the sessions individually.

Families go through lots of changes throughout life, so it’s normal to experience some problems.

Family Therapy Counseling can help you overcome these difficult times. The goal of therapy is to make life harmonious and make positive changes.

This works for both individual/ couples therapy and group or family therapy.

Feel free to connect with me today. I’m here for you.