family therapy
C1technical, academic, healthcare
Definition
Meaning
A type of psychotherapy that focuses on improving relationships and communication within a family system, treating the family as a whole unit.
A therapeutic approach based on the premise that an individual's psychological issues are often rooted in family dynamics; it involves multiple family members in sessions to address conflicts, patterns, and collective healing.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term implies a systemic, relational approach rather than individual treatment. It can refer to the general field, a specific therapeutic modality, or a series of sessions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition. 'Family systems therapy' is a common synonym in both. In the UK, 'family work' might be used more informally.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes a formal, structured therapeutic intervention.
Frequency
Equally common in professional contexts in both the UK and US.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The couple underwent [direct object] family therapy.The therapist recommended [direct object] family therapy.They are engaged in [prepositional object] family therapy.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It takes a village (conceptually related, but not a direct idiom for the term).”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Might appear in Employee Assistance Program (EAP) literature.
Academic
Common in psychology, social work, counselling, and medical journals.
Everyday
Used when discussing mental health options, family problems, or TV shows about therapy.
Technical
Standard term in psychotherapy, clinical psychology, and psychiatric treatment plans.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The NHS may family-therapise certain cases.
- They decided to family-therapy their issues.
American English
- The clinic offers to family-therapy the unit.
- They are going to family-therapy their dynamics.
adverb
British English
- They worked family-therapeutically.
- The problem was addressed family-therapy-wise.
American English
- They approached it family-therapeutically.
- The session proceeded family-therapy-style.
adjective
British English
- She is a family-therapy practitioner.
- They took a family-therapy approach.
American English
- He is a family-therapy specialist.
- It was a family-therapy intervention.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The family goes to therapy.
- They talk with a therapist.
- My friend's family started family therapy last month.
- The therapist said family therapy could help them communicate better.
- After the crisis, they were referred for a course of family therapy to address underlying tensions.
- Family therapy sessions often reveal patterns of behaviour that individual therapy might miss.
- The efficacy of systemic family therapy in treating adolescent anorexia is well-documented in clinical literature.
- Their treatment plan integrated elements of structural family therapy with cognitive-behavioural techniques.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: FAMILY + THERAPY. If a family is 'ill' (in conflict), therapy is the 'medicine' for the whole group.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE FAMILY IS A SYSTEM (where a problem in one part affects the whole). THERAPY IS REPAIR (of the system's connections).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'семейная терапия' if context is ambiguous (could imply 'therapy for the family home' like physiotherapy). In professional contexts, it's correct; for clarity, use 'психотерапия для семьи' or 'семейное консультирование'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'family therapy' to mean therapy done at home (e.g., physical therapy). Confusing it with 'family doctor' (general practitioner). Incorrect: 'We had a family therapy at our house.' Correct: 'We had a family therapy session.'
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary unit of treatment in family therapy?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it can be for any family configuration, including couples, adult siblings, or multi-generational households.
It varies widely, from a few sessions to several months or years, depending on the issues and therapeutic model.
Not necessarily. While full participation is ideal, therapists often work with available members and adapt the format.
In practice, the terms are often used interchangeably. Some professionals distinguish 'therapy' as addressing deeper, longer-term pathology and 'counselling' as focusing on shorter-term, situational problems.