Family Therapy and the Common Misconceptions
Family therapy is vital to treat and heal the emotional problems and scars of a family. However, there are some misconceptions associated with family therapy that frequently deters parents from seeking professional family therapy intervention for their children.
- Family therapy is essentially a brief therapy – Most parents visualize an image of a never-ending talk therapy that actually offers little or no progress towards improving the original problem. If it involves one’s child, most parents often get squeamish about the possible outcome of an infinite therapy. Unlike the traditional individual therapies, the modern family therapy takes different viewpoints to produce positive changes way more quickly in the young patients. The fast and affirmative resolving of the problem allows the child move ahead in life.
- Family therapists collaborate with parents to form an efficient team – Many parents think that a family therapist will blame them for the problems of the child. Otherwise, there is no purpose of including parents in the process of therapy! Parents already feel terrible enough with the problems of the child and they definitely don’t want to be pointed by the therapist as ‘dysfunctional’. The foundation of family therapy is idea of ‘joining’. It means the therapist listens and respects each member of the family. The therapist is aware about the fact that to treat a child, parents must partake in the communication so as to be effective.
- Family therapy does not follow a set rule – Most people tend to believe that family therapy implies participation of the entire family for all the sessions. This very idea presents a complete scheduling nightmare for the parents. However, it is not necessary for everyone of the family to attend every session. Flexibility is the biggest advantage of family therapy where children or the parents can see the therapist separately or together. The therapists work in the most beneficial ways that make sense with every individual family.
- Does family therapy actually work? – Some parents have experienced that therapy is usually ineffectual. Years of conversation in the therapist’s office eventually borne no result for their panic attacks, anxiety, or depression. And ultimately, the solution came with anti-anxiety medications or anti-depressants. However, family therapy is different from individual talk therapies. Family therapy is an effective solution as it harnesses the influence of a family to cure itself.
Family therapy plays a crucial role in troubled relationships where children face a tough time coping up.