While much of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis focuses on the individual, family therapy is distinctively different. Instead of evaluating the needs of one person, this field emphasizes the relational aspects of people to each other, especially those with close ties such as parent/child, sibling, or spouses. Individual therapy evolves a therapist/client relationship, from which to work on significant issues of the sole person, but family therapy takes a holistic approach toward looking at the way that a whole family unit or couple works, and the areas of dysfunction that require intervention.
At IHCS Behavioral, we have theoretical approaches to family therapy and many diverse groupings of people that might make up a family therapy session. A couple without children might easily enter couples counseling or family therapy in order to learn how to cope with their differences and deal with communication problems, or many other reasons. Such therapy could also occur with adult siblings and parents, foster children and foster parents, or family units of several generations. Therapists in such a setting may work with the various members of the family all together in session, and sometimes work with one or two individuals for a session or two.
