Strategic Family Therapy

How does strategic family therapy work?

Strategic family therapy is a short-term, structured style of therapy. There stages involved include:

Observation

The therapist observes how your family interacts and ensure the therapy setting is safe and comfortable for all members of the family.

Determining the problem

The therapist will ask you questions to determine the exact problem that your family is experiencing.

Family dynamics

Your family discusses the problem with the therapist who will have a better idea of the hierarchy, patterns of communication and behaviour, and the way you interact as a family.

Goal setting

Your family, together with the therapist will come up with goals for therapy, and strategies for achieving those goals.

Action

Your therapist will come up with and assign tasks to your and your family members to complete and to arrange for future sessions if needed.

When is strategic family therapy used?

This type of therapy is useful in helping families with the following concerns:

• Blended family adjustment
• Family issues
• Family violence
• Interracial families and relationships
• Divorce or separation
• Developmental disorders
• Personality disorders
• Premarital counselling
• Relationship dependence

This type of therapy may be used to treat other conditions and concerns in addition to those listed above. It may also be used in conjunction with other treatment methods. Your therapist will work with you to determine the best treatment method for your individual circumstances.

You should be aware that there is no treatment method that is successful for every person. What works for you, may not work for someone else.