Family Therapy: Personal Reflections and Clinical Implications

Introduction: Prior Assumptions About Individuality

Prior to working on this assignment, I knew very little about family therapy. Although the name of this branch of psychotherapy is fairly self-explanatory, I had always adhered to a belief in individuality — that the interrelationships between people do not matter as much as the individuals themselves. However, after learning about family therapy, I believe that former view was mistaken. Familial relations play an important role in the health and well-being of the individual. In fact, they may account for a fair share of psychological problems even when there is physical and emotional distance between family members. The insight I gained through studying family therapy has helped to revise and meaningfully inform my personal worldview.

The Family as the Basic Unit of Human Relations

Whereas I previously believed that the individual was the basic unit of human relations, I now tend to believe that the family provides that foundational unit. Because people are raised by others and grow up with a sense of belonging, the family actually functions as the most rudimentary element of human interaction. Individuals remain central to the functioning of families, but one of the most interesting things I learned about family therapy is that the actions of one's family members affect virtually everyone within that family system in some way.

There are numerous examples cited within this branch of psychotherapy pertaining to schizophrenia in adults, as well as to the effects that family members' actions have on adolescents and children. On some level I was already aware that children are affected by the habits of their parents. Now, however, I have come to understand that those actions can play a significant role in a child's social interactions, physical health, and academic performance. Previously, I simply believed that one's own volition and convictions would be enough to overcome such obstacles.

Emotion as the Foundation of Family Bonds

One of the central components of family therapy is that the ties binding the individual to the family unit — and, by extension, tying families to society as a whole — are rooted in emotion. Emotions are the connective points between people. Family therapy is also largely based on interactive systems in which the feelings people develop for one another over time are accountable for their relationships, or even for the absence of such relationships in some cases.

This aspect of family therapy resonates with my own experience. There was a time when my sister discovered that my father, who worked in the medical field, smoked cigarettes. She became immediately concerned for his health and reacted as though he were using far more harmful substances. I now understand that her reaction was partly driven by the strong emotion she felt for our father, and that his actions genuinely affected her well-being. This personal example helped me appreciate how family systems theory applies in everyday life.