Why Family & Couples Therapy Might Be the Missing Piece in Your Healing Journey
- Jessica Hope Murph LMFT, LCDC
- Mar 15
- 4 min read
Why Consider Family or Couples Therapy Over Individual Therapy?
When people think about therapy, they often picture an individual sitting on a couch, exploring their thoughts and emotions in a private one-on-one session. While individual therapy is incredibly effective, some challenges—especially those rooted in relationships, family dynamics, or communication breakdowns—are best treated systemically.
If you’re struggling with family tension, marital issues, communication problems, or generational patterns of dysfunction, then family or couples therapy could provide deeper, more lasting solutions than working alone in individual therapy.
How Do You Know if Family or Couples Therapy is Right for You?
Ask yourself:
✔ Do the challenges you face involve conflict, miscommunication, or tension within your family or relationship?
✔ Do you feel like the environment you live in contributes to ongoing stress, substance use, or unhealthy patterns?
✔ Do you and your partner struggle to truly hear each other, leading to recurring arguments that never seem to resolve?✔ Do you see patterns of anger, addiction, or emotional detachment that run in your family?
If you answered yes to any of these, a systemic approach—one that involves your partner or family—may be the most effective path to healing.
The Science: Why Systemic Therapy Works
Unlike individual therapy, which focuses on personal growth and self-reflection, family and couples therapy operates from a systemic perspective—meaning it doesn’t just focus on the person, but on the relationships, behaviors, and patterns within the family or couple.
Research consistently shows that systemic therapy leads to:
✔ Higher success rates in long-term recovery from addiction, anger management, and behavioral issues (Carr, 2019).
✔ Better communication skills that help reduce conflict and increase emotional connection (Lebow et al., 2012).
✔ Reduced relapse rates for individuals recovering from mental health issues like depression or substance abuse when their family is actively involved in treatment (Shields et al., 2016).
Why? Because problems don’t exist in isolation—they are influenced by the environments and relationships we’re part of.
For example, if someone is in therapy for substance abuse but continues to live in a high-conflict, stressful family environment, the chances of relapse significantly increase (Rowe, 2012). Healing the system rather than just the individual is often the missing key.
Key Benefits of Family & Couples Therapy
1. Long-Term Healing & Sustainable Change
Many problems aren’t just personal struggles but family-wide patterns that get passed down over generations. Family therapy helps break unhealthy cycles, whether it’s emotional neglect, addiction, or dysfunctional communication.
💡 Example: If a parent struggles with emotional regulation, their child may develop anxiety or avoidant attachment patterns. Addressing this in therapy as a family allows for deeper healing than individual therapy alone.
2. Communication Tools That Actually Work
Most couples and families aren’t lacking love—but they are lacking effective communication.
💡 Studies show that poor communication is one of the top predictors of relationship dissatisfaction (Gottman, 1999). Family therapy teaches you how to:✔ Listen without defensiveness✔ Express emotions in a way that prevents conflict✔ Recognize harmful communication patterns (stonewalling, criticism, blame)
For many, learning how to communicate in a healthy way is a game-changer.
3. An Unbiased, Professional Perspective
Family arguments and marital conflicts often feel like they go in circles—the same fights over and over, with no resolution. That’s because when you’re inside the conflict, it’s hard to see the full picture.
💡 A trained family therapist provides:✔ A neutral space where all voices are heard✔ Insight into underlying issues that may not be obvious✔ Mediation to prevent escalation and increase emotional safety
Many individuals just want their feelings to be validated and understood before they can move forward. A therapist ensures that happens.
4. Specialized Training Makes a Difference
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs) undergo additional training specifically in family systems, relational dynamics, and communication strategies. They don’t just focus on the individual—they look at how family roles, power structures, and attachment styles impact relationships.
Even therapists with general counseling training can work with families, but those certified as LMFTs or LMFT-Associates bring a unique set of skills to the table that make a measurable difference in outcomes (Sprenkle, 2012).
Final Thoughts: Should You Try Family or Couples Therapy?
If your struggles involve patterns of conflict, miscommunication, or relational stress, individual therapy may only address part of the problem. Family and couples therapy can provide deeper healing by working on the system, not just the symptoms.
Relationships shape us—for better or worse. If you’re ready to break old cycles, build better communication, and create a healthier family dynamic, systemic therapy might be the best step forward.
Healing is possible—not just for you, but for the relationships that matter most.
📚 Resources & References
📖 Carr, A. (2019). Family therapy and systemic interventions for child-focused problems: The current evidence base. Journal of Family Therapy, 41(2), 153-213.
📖 Gottman, J. M. (1999). The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work. Harmony Books.📖 Lebow, J. L., Chambers, A. L., Breunlin, D. C., & Ringstrom, P. A. (2012). Research on the effectiveness of couple therapy: A clinical perspective. Current Opinion in Psychology, 1(1), 1-6.
📖 Rowe, C. L. (2012). Family therapy for drug abuse: Review and updates 2010-2012. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1), 59-81.
📖 Shields, A. L., Sprenkle, D. H., & Constantine, J. A. (2016). The role of family involvement in substance use treatment: A meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 84(6), 533-544.
📖 Sprenkle, D. H. (2012). Effectiveness research in marriage and family therapy: Introduction. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1), 3-5.
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