Like pre-marital counseling, family therapy can also be useful as a preventative technique to teach members how to handle adversity before it begins. For example, newly blended families that have children from previous marriages may benefit from family therapy to help all family members learn how to live together respectfully.
Because the family is such an important part of a person’s social support network, family therapy can be crucial for families in which there is illness or other similar problems. In general, the better a family functions, the lower the stress level for the person with health problems. Adults who grew up in poorly functioning families as children may benefit from individual therapy that uses family therapy concepts, especially as they begin to form their own nuclear families.
Parenting counseling or classes is another important element of family therapy. Parenting is hard work and can bring out a whole range of emotions and changes in a family or marriage – some great, some not. A marriage and family therapist can help parents and children talk through important issues and learn the necessary skills to develop a healthy supportive relationship.