Healing Together With Family Therapy for Mental Health

Depression, anxiety, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress, eating disorders, and many other mental health conditions don’t just affect the person experiencing them. They also affect marriages, parenting, relationships, sibling dynamics, and how the household functions. Stress is absorbed by all family members, and everyone develops their own way to deal with it. Many members of the same household suffer silently, and most family members never receive an opportunity to find a healthy, structured method to process their pain.

Agape Behavioral Health understands this. Family therapy is at the heart of our comprehensive treatment plans because the people closest to you while you recover are not simply passive observers. They are an integral part of the system that either supports or undermines long-term recovery.

Family therapy is a type of psychotherapy where family members work together with a licensed mental health professional to understand the influence mental health conditions or stressful events have on their family relationships and to communicate more effectively with each other.[1] Sessions can include any combination of family members, parents, children, partners, siblings, grandparents, or even very close friends, who are meaningfully involved in the life of the person with mental illness.

The difference between family therapy and individual therapy is that while individual therapy addresses the inner experiences of one person, family therapy addresses the relationships and interactions between people. Family therapy provides a structure for family members to share openly, listen to each other clearly, and make conscious decisions as a group to create positive changes for everyone in the system.

At Agape Behavioral Health, family therapy is conducted by trained professionals licensed in family systems and is included as a component of each patient’s individualized treatment plan.

Family therapy for drug addiction is a type of counseling that uses the family to address issues related to a loved one’s substance use disorder.[1] It is specifically designed for the people closest to the person experiencing the disorder, such as parents, partners, siblings, and adult children, though family is a broad term that can include anyone close to them.[2]

Family therapy can be used with both adults and adolescents in treatment.[3] The amount of time spent in family therapy varies based upon the family’s needs and the individual’s level of care. Some families participate in only a few sessions while inpatient or in detox or attending an intensive outpatient program, while others continue through the duration of their treatment and during aftercare.

Sessions occur in person at a treatment center and are conducted by a licensed therapist or counselor trained in addiction and behavioral health. 

Agape Detox Center, we view the family as an integral part of that process. This is why our approach to family therapy is compassionate and evidence-based. Family therapy is not to assign blame — our clinicians seek to educate families regarding how substance use disorders affect relationship dynamics and how the family can function positively to support recovery and heal together.

There are a wide range of family therapies that can be utilized. Below are some of the most common:

• Structural Family Therapy focuses on restructuring the roles, boundaries, and hierarchy of the family system to allow for improved functioning. Families dealing with enmeshment, confused roles, or lack of clear boundaries may benefit greatly from this approach.
• Strategic Family Therapy is a time-limited intervention that uses problem-solving and targeted interventions to address dysfunctional behaviors and relational patterns within a family. It is particularly useful for families dealing with identifiable issues such as mental health conditions or substance use disorders.
• Functional Family Therapy combines behavioral and systemic interventions to address poor communication patterns, behavioral issues, and conflict patterns within families, particularly those with adolescents dealing with mental health or behavioral problems.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy applies CBT concepts to family interactions, helping identify negative thought and behavior patterns that lead to conflict, and then teaching each family member skills to modify those patterns.
• Psychoeducational Family Therapy educates family members about a loved one’s diagnosis, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, an eating disorder, or a substance use disorder, allowing them to provide supportive guidance rather than unintentionally encouraging harmful behaviors.

Family therapy can be helpful for many types of families experiencing difficulties, such as:

• A family member dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, PTSD, or a personality disorder
• Substance abuse problems, where family dynamics contribute significantly to either the problem or the solution
• Eating disorders, where family dynamics affect both the onset and recovery process
• Divorce, separation, or other significant changes affecting how well the family functions
• Grief, trauma, or a crisis that has impacted the family system
• Chronic communication breakdowns, ongoing conflicts, and damaged relationships that affect trust and connection
• Having a family member with attention-deficit disorder (ADHD) or a neurodivergent diagnosis, where education and adjusted family dynamics can support daily functioning

Family therapy is also very beneficial for families whose loved ones are receiving mental health services and who want to understand the recovery process, support their loved one, and learn healthy ways to respond when they see their loved one struggling.