Family Therapy
Family therapy is about helping the whole family function better, not figuring out who is to blame.
In effective family therapy, every member of the family feels heard and understood - first by the thearpist, and then by the other family members.
Monarch offers in-person family therapy in our offices Fairfax City and virtually in Maryland and Washington DC.
Do you have questions about family therapy, how it works , whether it can work for your family? Reach out to schedule a no-fee, no-commitment consultation.
Does your family get into frequent arguments?
Do you have trouble understanding each other?
Are you navigating tricky stages like teenage years or early adulthood?
Are you unsure of how to approach issues like school refusal, substance use or disordered eating in the family?
Family therapy might be for you. Monarch therapists offer family therapy alone or at the same time as individual psychotherapy for individual family members.
Take the first step by scheduling a no-fee, no-commitment consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Therapy
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Family therapy is about helping the whole family function better, not figuring out who is to blame. Family therapy explores the natural desire for connection and what is getting in the way. Rather than asking, "Who is the problem?" family therapy asks, "What is happening between the family, and how can we change it?" The distinction is important.
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There are different approaches of family therapy. Each type overlaps in approach, but has different focus points. Some include:
Attachment Based Family Therapy (ABFT): focuses on relationships, emotional safety, and attachment.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT): focuses emotional responses and attachment needs.
Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy (CBFT): Focuses on Thoughts, behaviors and coping skills
Structural Family Therapy(SFT): Focuses on boundaries and hierarchy
Functional Family Therapy: Focuses on family functioning
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No. Families can seek therapy for many different reasons, and asking for support does not mean a family has failed. Sometimes families get stuck in patterns that are difficult to change without help. Therapy can provide a space to understand those patterns and start a new path.
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It is totally normal to feel hesitant about family therapy, and so a family member not wanting to participate is not uncommon. Family therapy is difficult because it does involve talking about challenges and sitting with uncomfortable feelings. A therapist can help explore why they don’t want to participate and help talk through the concerns. If they continue not to want to engage, it doesn’t mean the rest of the family can’t benefit from therapy support.
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No. Meaningful therapy does not require someone to share everything they have experienced. Building trust and emotional safety is an important part of the therapeutic process. The goal is to create a space where family members can gradually become more comfortable being honest and vulnerable with one another.