Family Relationships Therapy

Is your family, or close relationships, experiencing difficulties or problems that you need help resolving?

In family therapy, a therapist works with families and those in close relationships, who experience problems. Prior to meeting together the therapist will discuss with family members whether meeting together feels comfortable enough for everyone involved, or whether meeting separately. or in different combinations will be helpful to begin with, to understand what the difficulties are.

Your therapist will be curious as to how family relationships are working currently, as well as what difficulties there have been in the past that may be influencing relationships in the present. We talk to you about your concerns and ask questions about how you think and feel, talking about important family beliefs and who else is involved with the family. The view point of everyone involved will be heard. Together, we can then agree a plan for future therapy.

The therapist explores all views and relationships, to the understand the problems they are having. It helps family members communicate better with each other. It can help families change, develop and resolve conflict.

The aim of family therapy is to help family members find ways to help each other, whether the problem is believed to be a personal issue or a family issue.

Family therapy sessions last from 50-90 minutes and usually take place every 2-3 weeks. Sessions can last from a few meetings, to more than a year.

You may be thinking of family therapy if the whole family is in difficulty. This may be because one member of the family has a serious problem that’s affecting the rest of the family. Or it may be that 2 or 3 members of the family are struggling with each other.

Families are enabled to draw on their individual strengths and their commitment within families, to support each other and improve patterns of relating.

Family values, roles and beliefs may be explored so each individual feels heard and valued and shared understandings of roles and rules are developed – alongside the importance of individual space, development and identity.

Family therapy may also explore the functioning of relationships within the family. The safety of establishing clear boundaries, for example, in the sibling relationship, the parenting relationship and the functions within these relationships will be explored.

Family therapy is an option for all families including single parent families and blended families of all cultures and beliefs. The work may involve wider family members or only part of the family.

At The Terrace, this service is for family members and their relationships with each other.