Psychodynamic Influences on Contemporary Family Therapy

Family therapy endeavors to return patients to optimal health and functioning by working within the context of their family systems. Family therapy has deep roots in psychoanalytic theory and practice, notably drawing on ideas from attachment theory, object-relations theory, self-psychology, and mentalization. In family therapy, the therapist instead holds a hopeful stance that the family system is capable of change and positions itself as an appreciative ally, recognizing that changes in emotional reactivity or behavior in family members lead to systemic shifts in patterns and behaviors within the family system.