What Is Family Systems Therapy?

This article discusses how family systems therapy works, what it can help with, its effectiveness, and things to consider and expect.

Key Concepts of Family Systems Therapy

Family systems therapy is based on the work of Murray Bowen, a psychoanalyst who developed the approach based on eight interlocking concepts:

1. Triangles: A three-person relationship system acts as a building block for other emotional systems.
2. Differentiation of the self: The ability to maintain individuality. People with high levels of differentiation can pursue goals independently, whereas those with poor differentiation rely on validation from others.
3. Nuclear family emotional process: This refers to the family's emotional interactions. Patterns can include marital conflict, dysfunction in a spouse, impairment of one or more children, and emotional distance.
4. Family projection process: Parents sometimes transmit their problems and anxieties to their children, affecting their development and creating emotional problems for other family members.
5. Multigenerational transmission process: People choose partners with similar levels of differentiation as themselves. Subsequent generations then show progressively lower levels of differentiation.
6. Emotional cutoff: To manage conflicts within a family, some members distance or cut themselves off from other members. Curtailing relationships without resolving conflict can add pressure and stress to future relationships.
7. Sibling position: Bowen believed that birth order affects parental expectations, sibling relationships, parental discipline patterns, and other family dynamics.
8. Societal emotional process: Many things that affect families also affect societies. In turn, societal attitudes, cultural shifts, and conflicts affect families.
   

Techniques of Family Systems Therapy

Family system theory suggests that individuals are inextricably interconnected to their relationship networks. Bowen believed that understanding these networks and the patterns of communication and conflict within them was essential to address individual problems.  

Therapies based on this theory employ various techniques to help individuals and the entire family unit, depending on the family's needs.

• Couples therapy: Conflict affects the entire family. Couples therapy helps partners resolve conflict and improve communication.
• Intergenerational family therapy: This helps families recognize patterns acquired from previous generations and learn new ways of interacting. 
• Narrative therapy: The participant develops a story of their life that helps them understand their experiences, behaviors, and roles. 
• Psychoeducation: Family members learn about mental health and treatment so they can respond effectively and empathetically when another family member faces a mental health condition.
• Structural family therapy: When people understand how their family is structured, they can work toward improving as needed and communicating more effectively.
• Strategic family therapy: This determines interventions to address the family's unique issues. 
  

What Family Systems Therapy Can Help With

Therapy focused on families can help with many group and member issues, such as:

• Addiction and substance abuse problems
• Anger management problems
• Anxiety
• Bipolar disorder
• Challenges caused by things such as divorce, job loss, or financial difficulties
• Depression
• Dysfunctional relationships
• Eating disorders
• Infidelity and divorce
• Parenting issues and conflicts
• Personality disorders
• Stress and trauma

It also can help address conflict in relationships among siblings, parents, and children, Families and members dealing with life changes, chronic health conditions, and similar challenges often benefit from family systems therapy.

For individual mental health problems, family systems therapy often looks at how the family contributes to the onset or persistence of such conditions. If one member has a substance use disorder, for example, this type of therapy can help other members understand concepts such as codependent relationships that enable addiction.

Benefits of Family Systems Therapy

By improving behavioral, emotional, and psychological functioning, family systems therapy can address a wide range of symptoms or difficulties, among them:

• Better-functioning families: Family systems therapy helps families work in many ways. Some mental health issues respond well, family support systems often improve, and family members often gain the empathy and support they need.
• Stronger connections: Family systems therapy promotes openness, empathy, and honesty in families, strengthens relationships, and improves communication,
  
• More cohesiveness: Each person works individually and collaboratively to develop solutions that make the team stronger and healthier.
• Healthier communication: Communication problems, power imbalances, and dysfunctional patterns are identified and addressed, clearing the way for stronger relationships.
• Cost-effective: Family therapy services were the least expensive option in a 2013 study comparing the cost of marriage and family therapy to that of individual therapy.

Family systems therapy helps prevent long-term problems by supporting families during challenges and changes. Other important benefits include strengthening relationships, improving communication patterns, increasing resilience, and encouraging supportive family networks.

Effectiveness

Research suggests that family systems therapy can be an effective treatment for conditions including substance use disorders, depression, child and adolescent behavior problems, and relationship issues.

It can be effective on its own or when used as part of a multimodal treatment program for both children and adults. Attachment problems in children, eating disorders in adolescents, and relationship distress in adults are among the many issues it can address. It can strengthen family support when individuals are facing serious health issues. It's used effectively along with treatments for substance abuse in teens and adults.

Things to Consider

Because family systems therapy focuses on relationships among family members, the entire family must work together during therapy. This can be challenging when family members are reluctant, ambivalent, or resistant to treatment.

How to Get Started

Begin by looking for a licensed, experienced therapist with a background in family systems therapy. Check online for a nearby therapist, or ask your primary care physician for a referral. Tele-health and remote services offer therapy via phone calls, text messages, video chats, online meetings, apps, and websites and apps Text-based and online therapy are convenient options.

Ask a potential therapist about their training, credentials, experience in relevant areas, typical approaches, and accepted insurances. 

During your first session, your therapist will gather information about your family, problems, goals, history, relationships, and communication style.

Family therapy typically lasts an average of 12 sessions, depending on the family's needs.