Addiction affects not only the person who is using; it affects everyone who loves them: parents, partners, children, and siblings. Your family is just as much a part of your journey as you are. They have experienced the lies, broken promises, chaos, and fear along with you, and healing damaged relationships is just as important as healing yourself. The process of recovery occurs when the entire family as a system recovers together.
Healing Together
Family Therapy for Drug Addiction
Because Substance Abuse Affects Everyone
Addiction Isn't a Solo Journey—Neither Is Recovery
What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy, or addiction family counseling, is an evidence-based therapy that brings family members of the person in treatment into the therapeutic process.[1] Family therapy considers the impact of substance use disorder on the entire family, including communication patterns, boundaries, roles, and the family dynamics that have been damaged due to substance abuse.
Family therapy sessions typically occur for 60 to 90 minutes, and can include parents, partners, siblings, children, and other loved ones. These sessions are facilitated by licensed family therapists who specialize in treating addiction and co-occurring disorders and are held in person at our facility or via telehealth for those unable to attend in person.
At Agape Treatment Center, family therapy is an integral part of the comprehensive treatment plan because studies have demonstrated that involvement of family members in the treatment process improves the outcomes of treatment and supports long-term recovery.[2]
How (and Why) Family Therapy Works
Drug addiction creates what therapists call dysfunctional family patterns, as family members try to cope with the chaos of substance use.[3] Examples of dysfunctional family patterns include enabling behaviors, breakdown of communication, boundary violations, and erosion of trust.
When one person in the family is struggling with substance use, the entire family system typically develops unhealthy ways to adapt. For example, a parent will become hyper-vigilant, a partner will assume all responsibilities of the family, or a child will be rewarded for hiding their feelings.
Understanding Family Dynamics in Addiction
Family therapy brings the hidden dynamics of the family out in the open to be addressed and healed. Through psychoeducation, family members learn that substance use disorder is a complex, brain-based disease requiring professional treatment and is not a moral failure. This alone can change years of blame, guilt, and shame.
Family therapy also teaches family members to identify enabling behaviors and how to create healthy boundaries. While a parent may be giving money “just this once” or a spouse may be calling in sick for their partner out of love, they are preventing the person with addiction from facing consequences and getting help.
Building New Patterns of Communication and Support
Family therapists equip family members with evidence-based practices to develop or enhance their communication skills, including honest expression of feelings, active listening, and healthy resolution of conflict without escalation. These sessions provide a safe environment for family members to process their pain and rebuild trust by acknowledging past hurts, experiencing and expressing anger, mourning losses, and beginning to rebuild what the addiction has damaged.
Family members learn to create specific plans that allow for recovery-supportive environments within the home, while also focusing on the individual family members’ health and well-being. Family counseling is used to address the unique challenges of each family unit, regardless of whether dealing with a spouse suffering from alcoholism, an adolescent or teen struggling with drug use, or a parent suffering from prescription drug addiction.
Healing together
Efficacy of Family Therapy
Research shows family involvement in alcohol and other drug use treatment improves positive outcomes.
Increased retention
People who have been involved in family therapy are more likely to stay in their treatment programs and achieve long-term sobriety.[4]
Decreased relapse rates
A study found that people who participated in family therapy had a much lower rate of relapse than those who only received individual therapy.[5]
Improved family relationships
A study published in The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy found that family-based therapy resulted in reduced family conflict, increased communication skills, and improved dynamics within families after treatment.[6]
Better outcome for adolescents
Family-based therapies, such as Functional Family Therapy, are considered to be the best type of treatment for adolescents with drug use problems.[7]
Benefits to the whole family
Family therapy helps not only the person addicted to drugs but all the family members heal from the trauma of the addiction, reduce their own stress and mental health problems, and improve the overall functioning of the family.[8]
What to Expect from Family Therapy
If you have never participated in family counseling, you may be anxious about what lies ahead. Will it be a blaming session? Will old grievances come to the surface? Family therapy is a well-structured, safe process designed to foster healing among family members that does not create conflict.
Family therapy is designed to provide a neutral environment in which families can have honest conversations with the help of a trained family therapist, who will ensure that everyone is safe and on track. The intention of these conversations is to gain insight into what has occurred, to validate feelings of hurt, and, together with the therapist, to create new ways to proceed.
A typical family therapy session includes:
01
Setting the agenda
The therapist checks in with each family member. Then they work to establish what each family member has asked to be discussed in the session and ensure that each person has the opportunity to discuss his or her issue.
02
Facilitated discussion
The therapist facilitates the discussion of the previously agreed-upon agenda topics, like communication skills, rebuilding trust, definitions of boundaries, or events encountered, and provides support to keep the discussions productive.
03
Skill development
The therapist teaches each family member communication skills, conflict resolution skills, and coping skills to practice at home with their family.
04
Emotional processing
The family members are taught a structured way to express their feelings to each other in a way that promotes understanding rather than creates further conflict.
05
Action planning
At the conclusion of the session, the family members are given clear steps to take or specific behaviors to perform, conversations to continue, and any behavior changes needed within the family unit.
Agape Wide Range of Treatment
Family Therapy at Agape Treatment Center
Agape Treatment Center offers comprehensive family counseling as part of our addiction treatment programs. Our licensed family therapists, who are trained in addiction issues, trauma, and family dynamics, understand the special challenges of families during their loved one’s recovery process.
Located in the “Island City” of Wilton Manor, our tranquil environment provides the ideal backdrop for families to engage in the healing process together. Families can choose between telehealth or in-person family sessions at our facility.
Our Approach to Family Therapy
Our family therapy program acknowledges that every family member has been affected by drug addiction and that family support is critical to long-term recovery for all family members.
Our approach includes:
01
Individualized family plans
No two families are alike. We assess each family independently of each other and create an individualized treatment plan based on the family dynamics, cultural backgrounds, needs of the family unit, and willingness of family members to participate in counseling.
02
Integration into multidisciplinary treatment
03
Evidence-based practices
04
Identifying codependency and enabling
05
Trauma-informed care
06
Support for co-occurring disorder(s)
07
Connection to community support sources
Healing Together
Healing the Whole Family
At Agape, we believe that addiction requires family healing. Family therapy will help you get there as a unit, helping everyone move from crisis and chaos to communication and connection. Whether you’re a parent who’s watched your child spiral, a spouse who’s reached your breaking point, or a sibling who doesn’t know how to help, our family therapy program offers hope, tools, and healing for everyone affected by drug addiction.
Your family has survived the chaos of addiction. Now it’s time to heal from it together.
Create Your Way to Freedom
You’ve spent enough time keeping your pain locked inside. It’s time to express it, release it, and transform it into something beautiful.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Family Therapy
What if my family member doesn't want to participate in family therapy?
Family member involvement in treatment is strongly encouraged, but not required. If someone you love is unable or unwilling to participate, we can work with whoever is available and willing to come. At times, progress made through treatment by family members who are able to attend can encourage other family members to join in at a later date.
Will family therapy turn into everyone blaming me for everything?
No, the family therapist will guide the family in a productive manner of holding each person responsible for their role in the family dynamics. The purpose of family therapy is to build understanding and promote healing rather than blame. If unproductive blame occurs, the family therapist will redirect towards productive conversation and make sure all discussions remain focused towards positive change and forward progress.
Can family therapy help if there's been years of damage and everyone is still angry?
Yes, family therapy is designed for the purpose of allowing families to heal and process all of the hurt and resentment that has built up. Healing will take time and effort, but with consistent and diligent effort, many families have been able to rebuild a level of trust and connection with one another, even after years of hurtful issues. Ultimately, all participants need to be committed to completing the treatment process.
What if I'm estranged from my family? Can I still do family therapy?
Whoever you consider your family, whether it is your biological family, your chosen family, close friends, or significant others, may participate in family therapy. Although you may have been estranged from your biological family, your therapist can assist you in processing the role your current support system plays in your life. You may also choose to pursue family therapy as a way of rebuilding relationships with estranged family members, with the therapist providing guidance and direction in the initial process of re-establishing contact between you and your estranged family members.
Does family therapy work for couples dealing with addiction?
Yes, couples therapy will be incorporated into your family therapy treatment plan and will address the relationship dynamics, trust issues, and communication patterns common to partnerships affected by substance abuse or alcohol dependence.
Sources
[1] [2] Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2004). Substance abuse treatment and family therapy (Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series, No. 39). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64269/
[3] Lander, L., Howsare, J., & Byrne, M. (2013). The impact of substance use disorders on families and children: From theory to practice. Social Work in Public Health, 28(3-4), 194–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2013.759005
[4] [5] Crane, D. R., & Payne, S. H. (2011). Individual versus family psychotherapy in managed care: Comparing the costs of treatment by the mental health professions. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 37(3), 273–289. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3270890/
[6] Rowe, C. L. (2012). Family therapy for drug abuse: Review and updates 2003–2010. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1), 59–81. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00280.x