Family
Therapy

Families attend therapy for several different reasons. Problems that family therapy can help fix include (but aren’t limited to):

• Strained relationships between family members.

• Stress.

• Anger.

• Communication issues.

• Trauma (physical or emotional).

• Coping with acute or chronic illness of a family member, such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, stroke, chronic pain or an autoimmune disease.

• The death of a loved one and grief.

• Divorce or romantic relationship issues.

• Coping with sudden changes, such as unemployment, moving or incarceration.

Family therapy can be beneficial if a family member has any of the following mental health conditions:

• Anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

• Eating disorders, such as anorexia.

• Mood disorders, such as bipolar disorder and depression.

• Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder.

• Schizophrenia.

• Substance use disorder.

It can also help childhood behavioral conditions, such as:

• Conduct disorder.

• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD).

• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

Families who have neurodivergent members, such as someone with autism spectrum disorder or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), also often participate in therapy.