Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniquesWhat SFT Can Help WithBenefitsStrengths of SFTThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Techniques

What SFT Can Help With

Benefits

Strengths of SFT

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

SFT suggests that dysfunctional family relationships can createstressand mental health problems for members of that family.

By addressing how members of the family relate to one another, the goal is to improve communication and relationships to create positive changes for both individual family members and the family unit as a whole.

What Are the Primary Components of Structural Family Therapy?

Structural family therapy relies on a technique known as “family mapping” to uncover and understand patterns of behavior and family interactions.During this process, the therapist creates a visual representation (a “map”) that identifies the family’s problems and how those issues are maintained through family dynamics.

This map diagrams the basic structure of the family, including the members of the family unit, their ages and genders, and their relationships to one another. Aspects of the family observed during this process include:

This process frequently involves having family members themselves make their own maps describing their family. This not only boosts engagement in the therapeutic process but also gives a therapist a better understanding of how individual family members view their place within the family.

“Inviting family members to place the people and write their names inside a circle promotes a recognition of their mutual belongingness, an awareness that ‘these are us,'” explained Salvador Minuchin and his colleagues inWorking With Families of the Poor.

After this initial process, the therapist observes the family during therapy sessions and in the home environment to track interactions and develop a hypothesis about the nature of the family’s relationships and interaction patterns.

Other techniques that may be used during SFT include:

How Cognitive Reframing Works

What Structural Family Therapy Can Help With

Structural family therapy can be helpful for many families, but it is often recommended in situations or life events that involve:

Any family that is coping with tension or conflict can potentially benefit from structural family therapy.

Benefits of Structural Family Therapy

Families struggling with conflict can benefit from this type of therapy for many reasons. Some of the ways it may help include:

It can be beneficial for families that have dealt with some significant change in their lives. For example, this might involve the death of a family member, a change in the family structure through a divorce, or some trauma such as interpersonal violence or an accident.

What Are the Strengths of Structural Family Therapy?

Structural family therapy has been shown to be effective at helping to address problems within families. Studies have also demonstrated the efficacy of this type of therapy.

Since its initial development in the 1960s, SFT has become one of the predominant family counseling theories.

The amount of time needed for treatment to be successful often depends on the dynamics of the family and the situation they are facing. Some families may require relatively short-term treatment lasting a few weeks, while others may need more sessions lasting several months.

Participation and cooperation play an important role in the success of this type of treatment. However, some family members may be less cooperative or may refuse to participate altogether.

What Is Filial Therapy?

If you think that structural family therapy may be helpful, ask your doctor if they can refer you to a professional who practices this type of treatment. You may also search an online therapy directory to locate professionals in your area who specialize in SFT.

Some questions you might ask before you begin treatment include:

During your first appointment, your therapist will ask you questions to learn more about the problems you are facing and how your family currently functions. They may ask you to create a family diagram to describe relationships between members of the family and work to get a better view of the dynamic between individuals in the family.

After your initial session, your therapist will then be able to provide a fuller view of your family’s treatment plan and what else you can expect during treatment.

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We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

What Is Strategic Family Therapy?

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Structural family therapy. APA Dictionary of Psychology.)Jiménez L, Hidalgo V, Baena S, León A, Lorence B.Effectiveness of structural⁻strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(7):1255. doi:10.3390/ijerph16071255Colapinto J.Mapping in structural family therapy. In: Lebow J, Chambers A, Breunlin DC, eds.Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer International Publishing; 2019:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_972-2Minuchin P, Colapinto J, Minuchin S.Working With Families of the Poor. New York: Guilford; 2007Sexton T.Functional Family Therapy in Clinical Practice: An Evidence-Based Treatment Model for Working with Troubled Adolescents.Routledge; New York, NY, USA: 2011.Ulya Z.Structural family therapy as mediation process for marital conflict (case study).Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Behavioral Research. 2020;1(1).Cottone RR.Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Individual and Relational Approaches. 1st ed. Springer Publishing Company; 2017. doi:10.1891/9780826168665.0011

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Structural family therapy. APA Dictionary of Psychology.)Jiménez L, Hidalgo V, Baena S, León A, Lorence B.Effectiveness of structural⁻strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(7):1255. doi:10.3390/ijerph16071255Colapinto J.Mapping in structural family therapy. In: Lebow J, Chambers A, Breunlin DC, eds.Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer International Publishing; 2019:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_972-2Minuchin P, Colapinto J, Minuchin S.Working With Families of the Poor. New York: Guilford; 2007Sexton T.Functional Family Therapy in Clinical Practice: An Evidence-Based Treatment Model for Working with Troubled Adolescents.Routledge; New York, NY, USA: 2011.Ulya Z.Structural family therapy as mediation process for marital conflict (case study).Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Behavioral Research. 2020;1(1).Cottone RR.Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Individual and Relational Approaches. 1st ed. Springer Publishing Company; 2017. doi:10.1891/9780826168665.0011

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Structural family therapy. APA Dictionary of Psychology.)Jiménez L, Hidalgo V, Baena S, León A, Lorence B.Effectiveness of structural⁻strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(7):1255. doi:10.3390/ijerph16071255Colapinto J.Mapping in structural family therapy. In: Lebow J, Chambers A, Breunlin DC, eds.Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer International Publishing; 2019:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_972-2Minuchin P, Colapinto J, Minuchin S.Working With Families of the Poor. New York: Guilford; 2007Sexton T.Functional Family Therapy in Clinical Practice: An Evidence-Based Treatment Model for Working with Troubled Adolescents.Routledge; New York, NY, USA: 2011.Ulya Z.Structural family therapy as mediation process for marital conflict (case study).Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Behavioral Research. 2020;1(1).Cottone RR.Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Individual and Relational Approaches. 1st ed. Springer Publishing Company; 2017. doi:10.1891/9780826168665.0011

American Psychological Association.Structural family therapy. APA Dictionary of Psychology.)

Jiménez L, Hidalgo V, Baena S, León A, Lorence B.Effectiveness of structural⁻strategic family therapy in the treatment of adolescents with mental health problems and their families.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019;16(7):1255. doi:10.3390/ijerph16071255

Colapinto J.Mapping in structural family therapy. In: Lebow J, Chambers A, Breunlin DC, eds.Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer International Publishing; 2019:1-3. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_972-2

Minuchin P, Colapinto J, Minuchin S.Working With Families of the Poor. New York: Guilford; 2007

Sexton T.Functional Family Therapy in Clinical Practice: An Evidence-Based Treatment Model for Working with Troubled Adolescents.Routledge; New York, NY, USA: 2011.

Ulya Z.Structural family therapy as mediation process for marital conflict (case study).Journal of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Behavioral Research. 2020;1(1).

Cottone RR.Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy: Individual and Relational Approaches. 1st ed. Springer Publishing Company; 2017. doi:10.1891/9780826168665.0011

Hannah Owens, LMSW

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