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Family Therapy

Family Therapy is a well-established and evidenced-based approach that aims to resolve the presenting problems by working on the relationships between the person and significant members of his or her family and social network. This is based on the theory that the family is a system and the action of one family member might lead to a reaction from another family member.

Family therapy also incorporates a systemic perspective whereby problems of an individual are viewed in relation to the different contexts in which the individual lives. It rests on ‘systemic assumptions’ or ‘a contextual perspective’ which emphasize the role of wider systems, such as the community, the society and the culture to which the family belongs. Systemic practice considers `context’ as being of paramount significance for an individual’s psychological development and emotional well-being.

Psychologists are not typically trained in family therapy in universities. Training in family therapy is usually later sought as part of psychologists’ professional continual education.  As such, it is not expected of psychologists in the social service sector to be experts in family therapy. However, if psychologists work with families and their clients have multiple stakeholders, a good understanding of family systems theory would provide the psychologists with a wider and deeper perspective to case conceptualisation.

Psychologists are expected to:

• Apply knowledge of individual development, family of origins, multi-generational patterns, life stages and various stage of family life cycle

• Draw genogram that illustrates family dynamics and relational patterns

• Conduct interview with different family members using appropriate question styles (including both linear and circular questions)

• Apply different formats of circular interviewing as a form of assessment and intervention

• Assess how beliefs and behaviours shape the interactional patterns within the family and between the family and the systems in the background

• Work collaboratively and form a therapeutic alliance with client, families and the various systems for intervention purposes

Key textbooks

1. Carr, A (2012) Family Therapy : Concepts, Process and Practice (3rd Ed). John Wiley & Sons.

   This is a singular contribution to the field of couple and family therapy. It covers central concepts, and processes in family therapy. It includes discussion on family therapy practice with child and adolescent-focused problems. Find out more here.

2. Arlene Vetere & Rudi Dallos (2003) – Working Systemically with Families: Formulation, Intervention and Evaluation

   This provides a clear introduction to family systems theory and practice and also emphasises the importance of formulation and evaluation. Find out more here.

Training & materials

You can get information about family therapy on this website by Sydney Family Therapy Training Institute. It is a provider of specialist family therapy education, training and supervision based on systemic principles.

Family therapy case conceptualisation

Below are two video lectures on an introduction to case conceptualisation based on Mastering Competencies in Family Therapy by Diane Gehart (Cengage).

Case Conceptualisation, Part 1

Case Conceptualisation, Part 2