A family’s patterns of behavior influence the individual and therefore may need to be a part of the solution. In family therapy, the unit of treatment isn’t just the person – even if only a single person is interviewed – it is the set of relationships in which the person is embedded.
Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical problems including depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems along with Psychiatrist, Physicians (depending on the context) and other allied health professionals when necessary (i.e.- Nature and type of therapy)
Research indicates that marriage and family therapy is as effective for many mental health problems such as:
- Adult schizophrenia
- Affective (mood) disorders
- Adult alcoholism and drug abuse
- Children’s conduct disorders
- Adolescent drug abuse
- Anorexia in young adult women
- Childhood autism
- Chronic physical illness in adults and children
Family therapists when necessary aren’t limited to work with Psychiatrist or other medical health professionals to assist in talk therapy for evaluated diagnoses such as the ones below.
- Evaluate and treat mental and emotional disorders.
- Evaluate and treat behavioral problems.
- Address relationship issues within the context of the family system.
Unlike individual therapy, treatment isn’t just for one person — even if that’s the only member of the family working with the therapist. As opposed to Individual talk therapy, family therapists look at the intricacies of relationships within and between family members as a unit. Therefore, even if the individual is the only member of the family, the family therapist takes a holistic view on the sets of relationships that make up the family unit that might be causing potential problems for resolutions.
