The Structural Family Therapy model was originated by Dr. Salvador Minuchin during the 1960s. It is an empirically informed intervention that addresses family dysfunction in terms of enhanced communication skills, establishment of appropriate boundaries, and proper balance of family roles.
What it helps with
How it works
Early on
You and your counsellor look at how your family talks, who decides what, and where the lines between people feel blurred or too rigid. No one is singled out as the problem.
As you go
In sessions, family members practise new ways to talk and decide, like parents agreeing on a rule as a team, while your counsellor guides and gives feedback.
Over time
You try the changes at home between sessions and bring back what happened. You and your counsellor decide together how long to keep going.
Not sure? A free consultation can help you choose.
Where
About
The Structural Family Therapy model was originated by Dr. Salvador Minuchin during the 1960s. It is an empirically informed intervention that addresses family dysfunction in terms of enhanced communication skills, establishment of appropriate boundaries, and proper balance of family roles. Structural Family Counselling at No Fear Counselling will facilitate families to deal with conflicts and build strong relationships within the family system.
In contrast to focusing on a single individual, Structural Family Counselling takes into account how the whole family interacts. This way, negative dynamics within the family can be addressed, as well as positive changes facilitated.
In Structural Family Therapy, the family is seen as a system that involves interrelated individuals. The problem may arise because of imbalances between the family roles, family boundaries, or communication processes. Structural Family Therapy does not put blame on an individual but instead looks at the impact of the communication process on the entire family system.
The ultimate objective of structural family therapy is to make the family relationships better through better boundaries, better communication, and clear family roles. With the development of such elements, the families experience more trust and cooperation.
Practical techniques are used by Structural Family Therapy to help improve family interactions and relationships. Therapists observe the way that members of the family interact and the manner in which their communications are unhealthy and then teach families ways of having healthier interactions. They might also teach families how to adopt different communication techniques, become more assertive parents, set family roles, and develop healthy boundaries within the family.
Instead of just talking about problems, therapists help families learn new ways of communicating and solving problems.
Structural Family Therapy may help people:
Structural Family Therapy could be helpful for families facing:
It is also helpful for families that want to enhance communication and relationships.
At No Fear Counselling, our therapists use Structural Family Therapy to help families recognize unhealthy relationship patterns and build stronger, healthier connections. We create a treatment plan based on your family's unique needs.
Based on your circumstances, Structural Family Therapy can be used in conjunction with Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), Attachment-Based Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), or Solution-Focused Therapy. We provide in-person and online therapy in Canada.
Families that are healthy develop from connecting and communicating with each other. Structural Family Counselling may be of great assistance to you and your family in communication, relationships, and overcoming obstacles.
No Fear Counselling provides Structural Family Therapy in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, Langley, Victoria, Kelowna, Penticton, as well as online counselling all over Canada.
Schedule your free consultation now and discover how Structural Family Counselling may be beneficial for your family.
Counselling Therapist
Counselling Therapist
FAQs
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Usually, several family members meet with a counsellor together, and the counsellor watches how you talk and make decisions in the room. They may ask you to try a conversation differently right there, such as a parent and teen working out a curfew without others stepping in. The focus is on patterns between people, not on blaming one person.
No, not always. Your counsellor may meet with the whole family, with parents alone, or with a parent and one child, depending on what you are working on. You decide together who comes, and each person can share as much or as little as they like.
It can help many families adjust to these changes. After a divorce or separation, or when two households join, roles and rules often become unclear, such as who sets bedtimes or how a step-parent fits in. Your counsellor can help you sort out these roles and find ways for parents and children to stay connected.
Structural family therapy looks at the family as a whole: its roles, its rules and its boundaries, meaning the lines between people. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) usually helps one person notice and change unhelpful thoughts and habits, and emotionally focused therapy (EFT) centres on emotional bonds, often between partners. If you are unsure which fits, a free 15-minute consultation by phone or video can help you choose.
Yes, many families can meet online from anywhere in BC, or in person if you prefer. Online sessions are often easier when everyone can see the screen and hear clearly, and your counsellor can help you plan what suits your family. If anyone in your family is in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8, or call 911 if someone is in danger.