Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

600 CHAPTER 14 Therapiesfamily therapyA form of psychotherapy that is based onthe assumption that the family is a systemand that treats the family as a unit.Family and Couple TherapyMost forms of psychotherapy tend to see a person’s problems—and the solutions tothose problems—as primarily originating within the individual himself. Familytherapy operates on a different premise, focusing on the whole family rather thanon an individual. The major goal of family therapy is to alter and improve the ongoinginteractions among family members. Typically, family therapy involves manymembers of the immediate family, including children and adults, and may also includeimportant members of the extended family, such as grandparents or in-laws(Nichols, 2008; Sexton & others, 2004).A Family Therapy Session Family therapiststypically work with all the members of afamily at the same time, including youngchildren. The family therapist can then directlyobserve how family members interact,resolve differences, and exert controlover one another. As unhealthy patternsof family interactions are identified, theycan often be replaced with new patternsthat promote the psychological well-beingof the family as a whole.BIZARRO © 2003 by Dan Piraro. Reprinted with special permission fromKing Features Syndicate.BIZARROFamily therapy is based on the assumption that the family is a system, an interdependentunit, not just a collection of separate individuals. The family is seen asa dynamic structure in which each member plays a unique role. According to thisview, every family has certain unspoken “rules” of interaction and communication.Some of these tacit rules revolve around issues such as which family members exercisepower and how, who makes decisions, who keeps the peace, and what kindsof alliances members have formed among themselves. As such issues are explored,unhealthy patterns of family interaction can be identified and replaced with new“rules” that promote the psychological health of the family as a unit.Family therapy is often used to enhance the effectiveness of individual psychotherapy.For example, patients with schizophrenia are less likely to experience relapseswhen family members are involved in therapy (Prochaska & Norcross, 2010;Kopelowicz & others, 2007; Pitschel-Walz & others, 2001). In many cases, thetherapist realizes that the individual client’s problems reflect conflict and disturbancein the entire family system (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2005; Lebow &Gurman, 1995). For the client to make significant improvements, the family as awhole must become psychologically healthier. Family therapy is also indicated whenthere is conflict among family members or when younger children are being treatedfor behavior problems, such as truancy or aggressive behavior (Connell & others,2007; Kazdin, 1994b).Many family therapists also provide marital or couple therapy. The term coupletherapy is preferred today because such therapy is conducted with any couple in acommitted relationship, whether they are married or unmarried, heterosexual orhomosexual (Lebow & Gurman, 1995; Sheras & Koch-Sheras, 2006). As is the casewith family therapy, there are many different approaches to couple therapy (Lebow,2008; Sexton & others, 2004). For example, behavioral couple therapy is based onthe assumption that couples are satisfied when they experience more reinforcementthan punishment in their relationship. Thus, it focuses on increasing caring behaviorsand teaching couples how to constructively resolve conflicts and problems. Ingeneral, most couple therapies have the goal of improving communication, reducingnegative communication, and increasing intimacy between the pair.