Two Types of Family Therapy

Licensed marriage and family therapist Timothy Kovacs serves as the assistant director at Baldwin Park Unified School District. In this position, he maintains responsibility for the operations of the early childhood education department of services. With a BA and MA in psychology, Timothy Kovacs has provided marriage and family therapy services since 2005.

As the name suggests, family therapy is the branch of psychotherapy that facilitates development in communication, relations, and dynamics of the family unit. Psychotherapists often take different approaches depending on the family. Common types of family therapy include:

1. Structural Therapy
Developed by Salvador Minuchin, structural therapy is based on the principle that a family is a single unit with multiple functioning pieces. The general belief under this mode of therapy is that conflict within the family arises when family members stray from their specific roles within the family. This approach seeks to resolve that conflict by promoting even distribution of power, communication, and respect, enabling the family to grow as a stronger entity.

2. Transgenerational therapy
This form addresses the challenges to communication between different generations. It eliminates communication barriers and promotes understanding within the family. By closely analyzing interaction within the family, the therapist can identify and develop strategies to resolve core conflicts within the family.