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In general, family therapy is useful in dealing with problems that arise in family relationships. However, there are different focuses. Family therapists can help parents cope with a child who acts out, for example, or improve spouses’ person-to-person communication. The type that’s best for you largely depends on your needs.  Are you dealing with an at-risk child? There are family therapies that focus on kids and adolescents who show behavioral problems, delinquency, or substance abuse. Does a family member have a drug or alcohol problem that is affecting the group? This can be another focus of therapy. There are also family therapists who work on marriages or help families cope when a member has a severe physical or mental illness. Your primary care doctor should be able to refer you to a therapist, if you express the desire to see one. You might also get advice from another medical professional like a psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or nurse. Just ask. They should be able to give you advice, suggest names, and to help you find someone in your area.  Ask plenty of questions about potential therapists. What are his or her training and credentials, for example? Are they licensed and do they specialize in family psychotherapy? Ask too about location, availability, and format. How long is each family counseling session? How many sessions are usual? Is the therapist available in emergencies? Inquire about cost and insurance, as well. How much does the therapist charge per session? Does she require full fees paid up front? Will she accept payment from your insurance provider? Check online for family therapists and family therapy resources, too. Start with a general search in your area, like on Google, i.e. “Family therapists in Baltimore,” but don’t neglect other specialized search engines. There are a number of therapy websites with special tools to find practitioners around the country.  Psychology Today hosts a Therapy Group search engine on its website, for instance. You can search your locality and then narrow the results to find specialists in things like divorce or family conflict. A second tool is the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy’s therapist locator. Search by the name of your area to find lists of nearby licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. Apart from your doctor and online resources, you might also consult with local health organizations in your area. Contact places like hospitals, mental health clinics, community centers, or even university counseling services to see if they offer family therapy sessions. You can either call, inquire in person, or send an email.  For example, call your local hospital and ask what kind of family counseling services they can provide. Some places, like the Rhode Island Hospital, run family therapy clinics for help in a range of psychological issues. Most universities also have counseling services – including family therapy – on campus for students and staff. Contact a college or university near you to see if you can make use of their programs. You’ll also want to know what sort of methods your potential therapist will use in treatment. Family counseling can draw on a number of techniques, each with their own assumptions and goals. The method may depend on your situation or on the therapist’s preference.  Ask if Structural Family Therapy is for you. SFT assumes that problems are inside of the family structure – that is, the therapy focuses on interactions in the group rather than on the individuals. The idea is for the therapist to change the family’s ingrained ways of interacting.  You might also ask about Brief Strategic Therapy. This form of counseling is short and tries to take stock, again, of how the family interacts as a system. The therapist will try to identify problems and will then set goals for change, alongside “tasks” for members to do outside of sessions. Consider Functional Family Therapy, too, especially if you have an at-risk child. FFT tries to lower the negativity that’s often found in such families, by focusing on changing behavior at the individual level. This can take place by working on members’ skills in parenting, communication, and problem solving.
Decide what kind of program you need. Talk to a doctor. Search the internet. Ask local organizations. Learn about the methods of therapy.