Family Therapy What is Family Therapy? A family's patterns of behavior influences the individual and therefore may need to be a part of the treatment plan. In marriage and family therapy, the unit of treatment isn't just the person - even if only a single person is interviewed - it is the set of relationships in which the person is imbedded. Marriage and family therapy is brief, solution-focused, specific, with attainable therapeutic goals, designed with the "end in mind." Marriage and family therapists treat a wide range of serious clinical problems including: depression, marital problems, anxiety, individual psychological problems, and child-parent problems. Research indicates that marriage and family therapy is as effective, and in some cases more effective than standard and/or individual treatments for many mental health problems such as: adult schizophrenia, affective (mood) disorders, adult alcoholism and drug abuse, children's conduct disorders, adolescent drug abuse, anorexia in young adult women, childhood autism, chronic physical illness in adults and children, and marital distress and conflict. Marriage and family therapists regularly practice short-term therapy; 12 sessions on average. Nearly 65.6% of the cases are completed within 20 sessions, 87.9% within 50 sessions. Marital/couples therapy (11.5 sessions) and family therapy (9 sessions) both require less time than the average individuated treatment (13 sessions). About half of the treatment provided by marriage and family therapists is one-on-one with the other half divided between marital/couple and family therapy, or a combination of treatments. For more information on Family Therapy, visit the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists . Individuals Individual, or one-on-one, therapy is an effective treatment for a variety of issues and problems. Many people enter therapy after a life event such as divorce, loss of a loved one, or a traumatic situation. Others seek help for chronic problems, such as depression, anxiety, relationship issues, addiction, etc. Whatever the reason, individual clients can benefit from therapy as long as they are committed to the process and see it as a normal, natural way to seek help and support for healthy living. The most effective way for individual change to take place is when the therapist and client work together as a team. Diane's philosophy: I see the therapy room as a laboratory, where the client and I explore thoughts and feelings experienced by both the client and myself as we work together. In this way, the clients can develop insight into their behavior that can benefit them in their relationships outside of the therapy room. This requires an honest and open relationship to develop between myself and the client, which takes some time and commitment. I find that if clients are patient with the process, their therapy can be a life-changing and rewarding experience. Couples Couples therapy requires the commitment of both marital partners in order to be successful. If couples enter the therapy process before it is too late, there is an excellent chance for success. However, many couples wait until their thoughts, feelings, and viewpoints have polarized, which makes bridging the gaps difficult, but not impossible. The best time for couples to enter marital therapy is when they begin to have difficulty communicating around important issues, such as money, sex, parenting, spirituality, etc. A marriage therapist can help couples explore expectations, improve communication skills, develop realistic relationship goals, and understand each other's emotions. Diane's philosophy: I believe the marriage commitment is worth protecting, if at all possible, especially if children are involved. I often explain to couples that divorce never improves their communication skills, but will make things more difficult if they will need to co-parent their children in the future. Even when children are grown, divorce can have a negative impact on the family as a whole. Divorce usually ends one set of problems, but creates other challenges that can have lasting consequences. Therefore, I encourage couples to think seriously before ending their marriage and to make their best effort to honor their marital vows. Although there are instances when divorce is the healthiest choice, I believe that when couples do the hard work to save a worthwhile marriage, it can be the richest and most rewarding experience of their lives. In addition, couples with children do their kids a great service in learning problem-solving skills that help them maintain the marriage commitment, which gives children a positive model for their own future relationships. Families Families most often seek the help of a therapist when one or more members of the family are experiencing some sort of personal or relationship stress. Examples may be when one member is experiencing substance abuse, anger management difficulties, mental or physical illness, legal problems, etc. Often, when one member is having difficulty, it affects the lives and roles of all family members and can create tension and anxiety in the family that is difficult to overcome without outside intervention. Family therapy is an excellent approach to allowing all family members to have a voice about the presenting issue and to effect change in the family so that it can function in a healthy and productive manner. Diane's philosophy: I love working with families because the family unit is such an important support system and influence on all individuals in our society. If the family unit (whether it's the primary family of origin or a secondary version) is healthy and functioning at its best, individuals have a better chance of thriving successfully on their own. I believe family therapy works best when as many family members as possible are involved, however, most times, members move in and out of the process, depending on the issues and what happens in the therapy room. I work with families from a family systems perspective, helping members to recognize their roles and to make change in those roles if it moves the individuals and the family in a better functioning direction. I treat each family as a unique unit and respect their collective beliefs and ideas about how to best achieve success in their particular situation. Client's Moral & Spiritual Direction Diane's philosophy: I do not discriminate based on gender, race, religion, culture, or sexual orientation. I respect all clients' ideas about what brings them peace and well-being and strive to help them work toward their self-directed goals accordingly. As a matter of record, I am a member of the United Methodist Church. I recognize that my spiritual beliefs cannot help but influence my therapy work, but my clinical approach to family therapy is my primary focus with clients. Because of my Christian background, I am open to engaging in Biblical-based spiritual counseling, but only at the client's request. Overall, I take a non-judgmental approach toward clients, recognizing that it is in our mutual understanding and acceptance of our humanness that the best work can be accomplished.