What is family therapy?

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  "What is Family Therapy" published by AFT here

Family Therapists help family members find constructive ways to help each other. They work in ways that acknowledge the contexts of people's families and other relationships, sharing and respecting individuals' different perspectives, beliefs, views and stories, and exploring possible ways forward.

Family Therapists thus not only support change with individuals but also in their relationships in the family and beyond, so children, young people, adults and/or those important to them are supported in continued recovery.

Family Therapists' areas of particular experience and expertise include:

• Family relationships and changes in family life
• Child and adolescent mental health
• Adult mental health
• Parenting issues
• Couple relationships
• Supporting family members through separation, mediation and divorce
• Child and adolescent behaviour, including problems with attention and over-activity
• Emotional disorders including anxiety, depression and grief following bereavement
• Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders
• Supporting family members in step-family life
• Social policy e.g. child protection
• Fostering, adoption and 'looked after' children
• Domestic violence
• Self-harm
• Drug and alcohol misuse
• Supporting children, young people and adults post-trauma (including conflict-related trauma in Northern Ireland)
• Refugee support

What is AFT's definition of family?

Different cultures and different groups of individuals have very different notions of what 'family' means. AFT takes 'family' to mean any group of people who define themselves as such, who care about and care for each other.

Do AFT members only work with families?

No. Family therapists most often work with family groups but they will also work with people on an individual basis, or suggest individual sessions within a series of family meetings, when appropriate. They will also, when appropriate, work with the professional and/or social networks around families. Some AFT members also specialise in work with organisations, transferring their experience and insights into human relationships and group interaction to other systems, such as businesses and public and voluntary services.

Click here for a report on the evidence base of systemic family therapy.