INTRODUCTIONThis text is a brief overview of basic facts about a therapeutic approach called family therapy and systemic practice. It is meant for anybody who is interested in this approach as a professional or a client/patient and also for policy makers, decision makers in health care delivery and representatives of public and private health insurance schemes looking to find out what this approach can offer.
WHAT IS FAMILY THERAPY AND SYSTEMIC PRACTICE? Family therapy addresses the problems people present with in the context of their relationships with significant people in their lives and their social networks. It is a well-recognized psychotherapy approach primarily aimed at the family system as a social unit in contrast to other psychotherapy approaches such as psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioral therapy which focus on the individual. Family therapy and systemic practice is a heterogenous field; there are different schools and models that share several principles and guiding assumptions. Some of the goals of family therapy might be for instance: improvement of family functioning on different levels, enhancement of mutual understanding and emotional support among family members, development of coping skills and problem-solving strategies in various life dilemmas and situations and so forth.
