Family therapy was “introduced in the 1950’s” (Comer, pg.60). The goal of family therapy is to “talk with all family members and try to help them solve problems they can’t on their own” (Comer, pg.60). There are many different theories on how to approach family therapy. One study concluded that “65% of families who attend family therapy do benefit from it” (Comer, pg.60). One study made a correlation between “family unit decline and higher out of marriage births and a decline in marriage and birth rates” (Chvala, Trapkova, Novak & Lattova, pg. 157). The goal of family therapy is to “help the family understand how to relate better to each other and avoid conflicts” (Comer, pg.60).
Styles of Communication within the …show more content…
Stage one is the initial stage and is where “the families problem is defined and a relationship begins to form with the therapist” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 189). Stage two is the middle stage, and during this stages the family “develops more emotional awareness and acceptance of dysfunctional family patterns” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 189). Stage three is the last stage of family therapy and “one where the family learns to change their family system” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 189). Finally stage five is “termination of the therapeutic process and the end of their working relationship with their therapist” (Nugent & Jones, pg. …show more content…
190). Counselors begin to become more “confrontational and family members start to respond with strong emotions and resistance” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 190). Family members may begin “to question the counselor’s ability, arrive late or complain about different aspects of counseling, these are all forms of resistance” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 190). Clients may “experience transference during this stage and is not only expected but considered a healthy part of the stages of family counseling” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 190). This stage begins to “see a change in how the family is structured and they begin to see that things can change” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 190).
Stage III: Last Stage During this last stage of family therapy families begin to “find alternative ways of behaving and communicating” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 191). A counselor may “assign homework at home to begin practicing new behaviors” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 191). Families are beginning to “confront each other and learning how to deal effectively in positive ways” (Nugent & Jones, pg. 191).
Stage IV: Termination