Families face a broad spectrum of challenges and concerns. In family therapy, the therapist works with the family as a unit, or with members of the family to facilitate change and development.  Family therapists focus on interaction patterns between family members, using the family as a source of support for each other and to solve problems that may be related to an individual member or to the family as a whole.  Family therapy may be used to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and work through transitional points in life.  Individual issues, such as depression or alcoholism, may have an impact on the entire family and so family therapy addresses the whole family system.   Co-parenting, step-parenting, and children’s special needs may also bring a family in together for counselling.  Focusing on the family as a group allows the therapist to support the family in facing those challenges as a team, and helps members to find support and nurturance from each other.

There are many different approaches that are effective in family work.  The approach of choice will depend on the concerns presented by the family and the goals identified for work in the therapy.