The significance of the family in counseling/therapy.

   When I opened my private practice, I was looking for a name for it. My goal was to find a name that would reflect my counseling philosophy. Finally, I came up with Family and Individual Therapy abbreviated as F.A.I.Th. Intentionally, I put the word “family” on the first place emphasizing my confidence for the high importance of the families in the formation and development of personality at earlier ages as well as in achieving better quality of life via influential connections through the lifespan.

   Therefore, it is not surprising that at my first session with an adult client I ask about family history and current relationships with parents, siblings, grandparents, cousins, etc. Obviously, the impact of the family of origin on who we are is huge. However, I frequently encounter that it is not easy for the client to see the importance of maintaining decent communication level with the members of their families, and they rather chose not to talk to them or do it sporadically.

   For youngsters, family is a must. Regardless of the child’s age, I always ask a parent(s)/guardian to talk to me in the initial session to get important information about the child, see their perspective of the problem(s), and establish therapeutic alliance with them. In the later sessions, I see the parent from time to time to do check-ins and talk about the client’s progress.

   Family therapy sessions are the only format that works for little children, age 0-6, when I demand that a parent is in the session all the time. With older children, family therapy can be challenging and stress provoking. However, it is critical for kids and adults to learn communication skills and practice them together guided by a professional.