There are several types of PTSD and other anxiety disorders that are rooted in the family unit. Family systems therapy is a form of psychotherapy that assists people in resolving their issues within the context of family. Regarded as an alternative therapy, the success rates of treating people with anxiety rooted in the family circle through the best anxiety centers offering family systems therapy for people with PTSD and other disorders are significantly greater than traditional approaches.
What is the Premise of Family Systems Therapy?
One of the main premises of family systems therapy is the idea that what happens to one family member, happens to everyone in the family circle. During family systems therapy a specialized therapist will work with both individuals in the family unit, and the family as a whole to resolve the problem that is causing trauma and anxiety and how it affects a single person or more than one family member. Every member of the family has the opportunity to express their emotions and share their feelings on how they have been impacted by the traumatic event or act.
Several complexities originate early in life and derive from relationships within the family, and these problems usually come to the surface later on in life. Families that are fettered to conflict, as well as individuals and couples who have problems directly tied to their family can benefit from family systems therapy. In many cases, other problems are coupled with family dysfunction, and even aside from family conflict, this type of treatment can be helpful for treating those. These can include:
- Depression
- Substance abuse disorder (drugs and alcohol)
- Bipolar disorder
- Anxiety
- Eating disorders
- Anxiety from disabilities and illness
- Personality disorders
When one is experiencing a form of anxiety in the context of their family circle, and any of the above problems are present, then family systems therapy could be an ideal treatment solution.
Who Developed Family Systems Therapy?
Family systems therapy was developed in the 1950s by psychiatrist Dr. Murray Bowen. After serving as a physician in the Army, Bowen moved on to practice psychiatry in the National Institutes of Public Health and in various clinics where he began researching family dynamics. While general psychological philosophies rotated around the individual, Bowen’s philosophies revolved around the family unit. He concluded that the family is an emotional unit, and that changes in any single person could result in changes to the family as a whole group.
How Does Family Systems Therapy Work?
Family systems therapy works on the foundation of eight primary pillars that include the following:
- Differentiation of Self – One’s own sense of individualism that comes from the self, and not from other groups of people, including the family circle.
- Nuclear Family Emotional Process – Occurring rational patterns within the family circle that include spousal dysfunction, marital conflict, emotional distancing, and impairment of a child.
- The Triangle – The dynamics in a relationship involving three people, which can influence the relationships family members have with one another.
- Sibling Position – The order of birth can affect relationships between siblings, parents, and children.
- Family Projection Process – Parents are capable of displacing their emotions or anxiety onto their children, who in turn displace their own emotions or anxieties onto other people.
- Multi-generational Transmission Process – Miniscule differences in differentiation between parents and children can result in massive differences within extended family members over a period of time.
- Emotional Cutoff – Family relationships can be entirely severed when there is conflict in the family with no resolution.
- Emotional Process in Society – Family relationships can be influenced by larger cultural and social forces.
At Serenity Trauma Healing Center, our family systems therapy specialists will use this approach to help families recognize these pillars in their own unique relationships, and then work the customized process to help them develop healthier relationships while purging the symptoms of anxiety.
What Can I Expect in Family Systems Therapy Treatment?
When you work with a counselor specializing in Family systems therapy at Serenity Trauma Healing Center, both the family as a whole or an individual person will participate in a custom approach to be determined by the therapist based on the needs and circumstances surrounding the trauma at hand with the goal to resolve the problem that directly affects one or more members of the family. Each person in the family has the chance to share their feelings and philosophies on how they have been affected, and as a unit the family works to help the individual or the family members in distress relieve the anxiety that has been poured onto the family as a whole. Family systems therapists help individuals and family members explore their roles within the family circle, and help them learn how to switch roles and support one another with the end goal resulting in rebuilding a healthy, happy family that’s fully restored and free of anxiety.
Call Serenity Trauma Healing Center for the Best Family Systems Therapy Specialists
Serenity Trauma Healing Center is a leading treatment center for anxiety and depression specializing in a wide range of alternative therapies, including family systems therapies. This therapy is combined in our treatment programs. We also offer PHP programs and IOP programs. Located in Malibu, California our family systems therapy specialists provide sessions to families and individuals against the tranquil backdrop of our private beach community, with decades of experience offering cutting-edge outpatient treatments that work where traditional therapies have failed. Call today and learn how we can restore health and balance to your family circle, and to you as an individual who no longer has to live with the shadows of anxiety constantly dwelling behind you.
