Family therapy is often the most useful approach when information or cooperation from all or part of the family is essential, or when the problems to be addressed affect the entire family. There may be one individual who is having the most difficulty, but sometimes everyone needs to make changes for those problems to improve. Family therapy may be helpful in conflicts involving parents and children, siblings, or the whole family unit. It may be appropriate when the problems of a parent or parents are affecting the children, in helping step-families to adjust or when adults want to address difficulties with their older parents or siblings. It may also be helpful to families dealing with issues of grief, chronic illness or other stressors affecting the entire family.
Family therapists pay attention to family patterns and their effects on problematic relationships or issues within the family. They emphasize either the self-awareness of family members or use techniques to bring about behavioral change.