Family Therapy

Description

What family therapy is

Family therapy is a form of talking therapy in which the therapist works with family members together — not to take sides, assign blame, or reach a predetermined conclusion, but to create a space in which each person can speak, feel heard, and begin to understand how things look and feel from where others are standing.

Families come to therapy for many different reasons. Conflict between family members. A significant change — bereavement, separation, a child’s diagnosis, a young person struggling at school or at home. Communication that has broken down. A sense that the same arguments keep happening without resolution. A family member whose difficulties are affecting everyone. All of these are valid reasons to be here.

How sessions are structured

Family therapy at Hope Therapy is flexible by design. Who attends each session, and how the sessions are structured, will be discussed with you during your free consultation — because what works for one family will not work for another, and the therapist’s first job is to understand your situation before deciding how best to work with it.

Please note that this service is available to families where all participating members are aged 14 or over. If your family includes younger children who you feel would benefit from support, please raise this during your free consultation and we will discuss what alternative options may be available.

Some sessions will involve the whole family together. Others may involve smaller groupings or individual conversations within the overall therapeutic process. Your therapist will discuss this with you openly and will not make assumptions about how your family should engage with the work. The specific arrangements that apply to family therapy — including how consent is handled where young people aged 14 to 17 are involved — will be explained clearly during your consultation before any sessions begin.

Sessions run for 50 to 60 minutes and are available online via a secure video platform, or face-to-face subject to therapist availability and your location. Face-to-face availability varies by area and will be confirmed when your therapist is matched to you.

Why a single session

A single session can be a useful starting point — particularly for families who are not yet sure whether family therapy is right for them, who want to experience the process before committing to a block of sessions, or who have a specific and contained issue they want to explore. It is also a practical option for families who have previously worked with Hope Therapy and want to return for a focused piece of work without purchasing a bundle.

If you are new to family therapy and anticipate needing more than one session, our three session family therapy bundle may be a more suitable starting point — it gives the work the time it needs to develop meaningfully and represents a saving against the single session rate.

Your therapist

Family therapy at Hope Therapy is delivered by trained therapists with specific experience in working with families. When we match you with a therapist, we take into account the nature of what your family is bringing, your preferences, and practical considerations such as availability and location. If the match doesn’t feel right, we’ll find someone who does — at no extra cost.

Confidentiality in family therapy

Confidentiality in family therapy is more complex than in individual counselling, and your therapist will explain how it works in detail before your sessions begin. As a general principle, what is discussed in sessions is confidential to the participants and to Hope Therapy. There are limited circumstances where this may need to change — for example, if there is a serious risk of harm to any family member — and these will be explained clearly at the outset. Where participating family members are aged 14 to 17, additional considerations around consent and confidentiality apply and will be discussed with the relevant family members and, where appropriate, those with parental responsibility, before sessions begin.

Not sure yet?

Family therapy works best when everyone involved understands what they are coming into. A free 15-minute consultation is the right place to start — it gives you the opportunity to ask questions, understand how the process works, discuss who should attend and how, and make sure we are the right fit before you commit to anything. If you’ve already had your consultation and you’re ready to book, you’re in the right place.

A note on what family therapy can and cannot do

Family therapy is not a quick fix, and it does not come with guaranteed outcomes. What it can offer is a professionally facilitated space in which family members have the opportunity to be heard, to hear each other differently, and to make more considered decisions about how they want to relate to one another. Many families find it makes a significant and lasting difference. What that difference looks like will be particular to your family.