Essay On Family And Family Therapy

722 Words2 Pages

Both individual and family therapy are forms of treatment which provide individuals with guidance in working through conflicts, building a stronger sense of self-worth, and a healthier lifestyle. Although both forms of therapy are beneficial and provide treatment for patients, they do have different aspects in which they focus on. Individual therapy focuses on the individual and their internal conflicts they may have. In this type of therapy individuals are engaged in a one-on-one relationship with their therapist. The therapy is centered around one client and they are able to self-reflect on their feelings and emotions. Individual therapy is suited for clients who need guidance facing their fears and obtaining a good sense of self. People …show more content…

Some goals of family therapy are to have better communication, learn from each member, and ultimately move towards having family unity. The texts states, “The power of family therapy comes from bringing parents and children together to transform their interactions” (Nichols, 5). This not only applies to parents and children but also to spouses, siblings, and other relatives. Having someone that is not part of a family is good because it helps mediate what and how things are being said. A family therapist can help run things so there can be some kind of breakthrough of progress. In family therapy, group dynamics are an essential part of treatment. Group dynamics include the interaction of members and how they work in cooperation in supporting each other during therapy. Family therapy is suited for clients who are grieving a loss in the family, have a strain in a marriage due to situations like infidelity, or maybe have financial issues. All these situations are not easy to work through. So going to family therapy can help the individuals work through their problems. As a client I would be most comfortable with individual therapy. I know I can have a …show more content…

Another reason why individual therapy would be better is because in group therapy due to a large group of people, the therapist may not pick up on a patient 's nonverbal cues. In contrast, in individual therapy the therapist may pick up on their patient’s cues that they may not feel comfortable or they are not feeling like participating in the therapy session. In a group setting, therapists can not spend long periods of time on one individual while there is a room full of people. If a client had a family and individual therapist I think it would be beneficial for them. Seeing a family and individual therapist provides benefits such as different perspectives, environment, and therapy exercises. A good thing about two therapists is that if a patient feels they are not getting the treatment they are looking for in one therapy, they are able to go to

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