“No man is an island…”

What is Family Therapy?

Family Therapy (or Systemic Family Therapy) is a type of psychotherapy. It involves bringing together all or some members of a family so that they can help each other identify and resolve shared conflicts and problems. Families are probably the most powerful resources available in our lives when it comes to successfully overcoming important problems of a psychological or physical nature. Hisotrically, psychotherapy has mainly focused on the individual, who would bring forward positive changes on his or her own. In family therapy the family members work together in order to resolve their problems. Families are invited to establish new ways of communicating and interacting with one another, strenghten their resources, and colaborate towards constructive and creative solutions  to often difficult problems.

Family therapy has shown to be especially beneficial in moments of crisis. It recognizes how important the family and relational context is to each individual. In therapy, therefore, all different perspectives, beliefs, visions and narratives  are respected and encouraged to be expressed and understood, at the same time exploring possible ways to move forward toward positive changes. Even though the family moves forward as a whole, the therapeutic process simultaneously encourages and supports the growth and development of each individual.

How does it work?

Family therapy always takes into account the folowing ideas:
• the family influences the psychological process and development of all of its’ members -and viceversa.
• the changes taking place within the family bring about personal changes - and viceversa.
Given that during family therapy various relationships are focused and worked on simultaneously, family therapy has shown to be more effective than other types of therapy in terms of resources, time and positive changes obtained. It is usually a brief process (8-12 sessions). The sessions take place once a week or fortnight and they last approximately 1 ½ hours. We usually assign two therapists to each family, who work together throughout the process.

Do family therapists only work with families?

No. Family therapists also work as individual therapists. Though the theoretical framework may be the same, the techniques differ. Nevertheless, occasionally, the therapist may suggest a family or couple session within an individual process, and vice versa. Some systemic family therapists are also specialists in business’ environments, transferring their knowledge on human relations and interpersonal interaction to other systems, such as private organizations or public institutions.  

When should I seek family therapy?

Any person directly or indirectly affected by a problem manifested within the family may ask for professional help; sometimes, the ones most affected by the problem are not the ones presenting the symptoms.  


Most common reasons for seeking family therapy:

• Family conflicts or unresolved problems
• Mental health issues with children and adolescents
• Parenthood (difficulties, disagreements, lack of communication)
• Support to the family going through separation or divorce.
• Conduct disorders in children, including attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity.
• Affective disorders, such as anxiety and depression.
• Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders.
• Child fostering and adoption.
• Domestic violence.
• Alcohol, drug abuse and other addictions.
• Migration processes and cultural adaptation.
• Significant changes in the family life or structure (change of home, birth of children, retirement, children leaving the “family nest”, new partner/marriage, caring for an elderly/dependent family member, death …)

Service offered in: English, Spanish, Catalan, French, Portuguese, German, Polish, Greek, Swedish, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian and Swedish.

What should I do if I'm interested?

Informative visit: We usually offer a free informative visit, of approximately 30 minutes, before initiating a therapy. This visit is especially advisable for people who have no previous experience of psychotherapy or those who would like to have more information before making a decision. At the same time, it is useful to us in order to decide on which therapist and/or therapy would best suit the needs of each client.
If you would like to make an appointment, you may contact us via email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone: 934592802, 608384682 or via our on-line information document.