Family therapy is an indispensable tool in a situation when the family is in danger of destruction. This can happen in the life of any person, and it is not even necessary to be guilty. Many say that everyday life is filled with conflicts, and people cannot come to such mutual understanding that is so characteristic of the first time. Family therapy helps to find a common language, jointly cope with problems and avoid the breakdown of the cell of society.
Well, I do not!
This is exactly what many people think when they find themselves in a situation of difficult family relationships, if friends and relatives offer to turn to a specialist for help. Family therapy, for some reason, seems intimidating, even embarrassing. The opinion is completely erroneous. Systemic family therapy helps to cope with numerous difficulties, to get rid of understatement, a load of problems. With the help of a doctor specializing in this matter, you can finally understand the way of thinking of a loved one, establish contact with him and restore peace in the house.
Often, help is needed for families faced with difficult life situations. Many people are closed by nature, they simply cannot afford to share their emotional state even with a loved one. Systemic family therapy comes to the rescue, allows you to form a productive dialogue. A timely visit to a specialist is a way to preserve marriage ties and prevent the destruction of the family. Systemic family therapy is a modern approach actively developed by psychologists and psychotherapists around the world. The accumulated experience shows: this is a really successful method of solving the problem of mutual understanding between family members.
Features of the situation
The Institute of Family Therapy was developed as a response of specialists to all the increasing cases of crisis in the relationship between loved ones. Observation of the cells of society gave an idea of the most typical reactions of a person in a state of crisis:
- distrust of others;
- mockery
- skeptical perception of the interlocutor.
Family therapy techniques are based on the following postulate: the interlocutor simply does not realize that a close person is trying to convey such reactions to him. Many in this situation simply do not understand that relations can be saved, restored, restored to their former prosperity.
general information
How does the modern Family Therapy Center work? This is a place within the walls of which reception is conducted only by professional psychologists and psychotherapists. The task of specialists is to prevent possible problems in the near future, to work on situations that have already happened in order to understand the behavior of all participants in the causes of what happened. Doctors help people realize what led to the crisis, what factors provoked it and stimulated the development of the situation. Family psychology and family therapy are an effective measure to prevent emotional disruptions, from which, unfortunately, no family is safe, especially in the rather difficult social conditions of our time.
By contacting specialists for help, you can restore relationships with loved ones. There are several large clinics working in this direction. People who visited the Minukhin School of Family Therapy, good reviews about Schwartz and some other authors of unique approaches positively assess the result of the course.
How it works?
The Institute of Integrative Family Therapy provides interested individuals with relevant, useful, practical information in the following areas:
- family system, the essence of the cell of society;
- ability to realize oneself as part of the family;
- the formation of a sustainable productive dialogue with difficult to communicate objects;
- restoration of understanding between loved ones;
- ways to achieve harmony in the family;
- methods of understanding others.
The Institute for Integrative Family Therapy helps to cope with fears related to insights into complex, controversial situations. Success is achievable only by blocking the surface approach, understanding the essence of the factors that provoked the conflict. All the problems, as psychologists assure, can be solved, and many patients, having taken a specific course, are surprised looking back: how did they not understand before that building a productive relationship is so simple?
What to pay attention to?
Integrative family therapy helps to determine, formulate, establish the boundaries of relationships. This is equally relevant for the “fathers and children” problem, and for the relationship between parents. As part of the course, the psychologist helps clients find common topics and realize the extent to which they are important and able to determine the future. At the level of sisters and brothers, a specialized approach will help create a pleasant relationship, eliminate sharpness, conflicting perceptions of another person. Many note that only with the help of a therapist could they realize the intimacy of a relationship with a loved one. Moreover, the fact of joint participation, awareness of the interest of all parties in communicating in a positive result plays an important role in systemic family therapy of subpersonalities.
The psychologist’s task is to let the client understand that the family does not contain extra people, everyone is needed, everyone needs it. Thanks to this, it becomes easier to mutually overcome the differences that have arisen. When identifying infidelity, the therapist will help analyze the painful situation. The task of family members is to understand that maintaining events in the current situation will not be of any use, for moving forward, developing relations, it is necessary to overcome this complexity. Often, the most modern family therapy of subpersonalities developed by a prominent figure, Richard Schwartz, benefits.
Equality and respect
Family therapy helps:
- to achieve the equal status of all family members;
- eliminate the situation of the appearance of the scapegoat, including preventing such a position for yourself;
- to help each other within the family (this also needs to be learned!);
- reformat the relationship so that the future is as prosperous as possible;
- recognize the importance of the family and its values.
Basic techniques
Currently, family art therapy is popular, psychodrama, joining, playing, observing are no less relevant. The specific method is selected taking into account the situation. Many experts positively evaluate Schwartz's approach: systemic family therapy of subpersonalities. By the way, the author even released a fairly popular book, written in a simple and understandable language, without using specific terms. If it is not possible to take a course of family psychotherapy, you can start by studying this work and applying its postulates in reality, gradually developing the situation and, possibly, bringing close to the understanding of the need for external intervention - psychotherapeutic advice.
Joining
This approach involves the inclusion of a doctor in family relationships: the psychologist becomes a full member. This allows you to understand the essence of what is happening between people and take measures to eliminate the conflict situation. A similar model belongs to the category of role-playing games and includes several successive stages:
- Description of the problem by family members, which helps the psychologist determine the most active, dominant participant.
- Gathering information about the position of each member, formulating the initial conclusion on the situation, confirming the fact of a problem.
- Summing up first by clients, then with the participation of a psychotherapist.
As noted in psychotherapeutic practice, with this approach to solving the problem, the second step often associated with formulating conclusions is often the most difficult. Many visitors to the sessions strongly disagree with the opinion of the doctor, and the difficulties in mutual relations do not allow them to come to an agreed position in the group of clients. Thanks to the transformation of an outsider into a family member, it becomes easier to realize what the problem is, find the positive aspects of interaction, develop a strategy to strengthen them, formulate a line of behavior in relation to a difficult situation. At the stage of summarizing, the therapist controls that the problem is not solved under the direction of one of the group, but by the joint work of all participants. Only joining forces and showing interest in each allows you to get a truly productive result.
To summarize
The final stage of the role-playing game, involving the addition of another family member, is the development of alternative solutions to the circumstances. Under the supervision of a psychotherapist, participants play a specific situation, each explains what he will do, how he will behave, how he will react to the actions of others. During the game, everyone involved has the right to stop others, correct their actions and express their vision.
The psychologist necessarily gives "homework": to work out, discuss what was understood during the session, do specific things and not do certain things. At the same time, it is monitored that all members of the incoming group take an active part - this condition is one of the key for family therapy.
Supervision and Processing
With this method of work, the therapist carefully monitors the interaction of clients within the group: how people listen, respond to information from the interlocutor. The data obtained in this way are used to formulate conclusions, draw up a program of recommendations for improving the atmosphere in the house.
Reconstruction involves emphasizing important positive aspects of family relationships. The therapist helps to realize the benefits, pleasant moments of interaction, provokes a desire to work on their development.
Technicians
Receptions - such means, the use of which helps to adjust the structure of interaction between family members. Sherman, Fredman in their universally recognized works applicable in practice formulated the following list of ways to influence the situation:
- sociometry;
- behavioral strategies;
- paradoxical approaches;
- the use of imagination.
And if in more detail?
Sociometry is the most widely applied approach at present. The prevalence of the method is due to the universality of its application. Psychotherapists who have mastered this option of influencing clients perfectly can cope with any family difficulties, placing emphasis on the most powerful aspects of the relationship.
Behavioral approaches involve a search for the causes of a complex, conflict situation. The task of the therapist is to help clients adjust their behavior so that the relationship becomes more healthy. It is believed that this method is one of the most effective.
Techniques based on the paradox show a quick positive effect, and the customers get the impression that the problem has exhausted itself. But for a psychologist, mastering the approach is not easy, its use is also fraught with certain difficulties. Finally, the use of imagination involves art therapy, working with associations.
Historical moments
Family therapy is a fairly young and rapidly developing method. It was first used after the Second World War. The authors were the leading psychotherapists of America. It is now recognized that approaches need to be developed and improved. The peculiarity of psychotherapeutic techniques is that the doctor simultaneously works immediately with a group of visitors, influencing the family as a whole. The Germans were the first to recognize such a technique, then the method was approved by the Austrians and was adopted by Sweden.
Today, family therapy is actively used in different countries of the world, it is recognized as economical, effective, with long-term results. From year to year, more and more numerous new proposals are being made regarding possible ways and approaches, new dependencies and facts are being discovered, methods of influencing people that are fundamentally different from previously used ones are being worked out.
Not so simple
While some see the future of society in family therapy, others are firmly convinced that this option is not suitable for continuous use. The peculiarity is in the absence of their own concepts and unique theories accepted by wide circles. Written in key works for the direction and observed in practice often diverge. It is noted that family therapy is largely heuristic.
Curious moments
The duration of a family therapy course in the simplest cases is only a couple of weeks, but situations are known where medical care has been necessary for years. This is largely determined by the carrier of the symptom and the presence of mental disorders, as well as the activity of interpersonal conflicts. In different cases, customers are motivated to varying degrees to achieve success, this also plays an important role. As a rule, classes begin with one or two sessions weekly, then the frequency is reduced to once every two weeks, then once every three weeks.
The main stages of the therapeutic course indicated in the works of Justitskis, Eidemiller:
- diagnostics;
- liquidation of a conflict situation;
- reconstruction;
- support.
The most important thing is to get started
Diagnosis involves typing identified problems. The task of the therapist is to pay attention to the personal qualities of all participants in the process. The psychiatrist formulates hypotheses and seeks justification for them. At the same time, therapy is distinguished by the presence of a diagnostic component at all stages of the interaction between the doctor and clients: this is the only way to choose really effective methods of influencing people.
When interacting with family members, the doctor must take into account that the data received from one participant may not coincide with the vision of another person. You need to be able to correlate the information received, to form your own unique impression, to question and control the behavior of the arrived group. The task of the therapist is to look at the situation from the position of each member of the family in order to understand and realize their point of perception and help to come to a resolution of the conflict situation.
What's next?
After the initial acquaintance with the situation, you can proceed to a deeper analysis of the circumstances. The therapist meets with the family, identifies the source of the conflict situation, analyzes the emotional reaction of each interested person, looks for ways to eliminate the consequences. As part of the work process, it is necessary to create a productive dialogue between the client and the doctor, otherwise the event will not lead to success.
The task of the psychotherapist is to help all participants in the situation to establish a mutually understandable contact, when each member of the family is able to perceive and understand the information presented by others. The doctor becomes a mediator, helping to pick up such a volume of data that can be perceived by all parties to the conflict at the moment, his task is to check the very fact of the transfer, to make sure that the information has been heard and realized. The psychotherapeutic session is aimed at working with non-verbal informational components. As a rule, the doctor asks the client with gestures to express conflicting data, asking him to be tolerant, sensitive to others. Non-directive technology is most widely used to help verbalize relationships that are not understood by family members. Additionally, the doctor can develop unique methods of influence that help clients establish a constructive dialogue.
Continuing work
Only a deep penetration into family conflict allows us to make a course of systemic therapy truly effective. This requires the organization of group discussions with the participation of not only a specific family, but also other people who find themselves in a similar situation. Correct formation of groups allows you to conduct role-based training, teach customers how to discuss, adhering to the rules of constructive dialogue.
When clients have acquired a sufficient amount of empathic skills, the doctor thinks through and implements a course of consolidating the information received. , .