Family psychotherapy works with the family as a system — addressing the relational dynamics, communication patterns, roles, and interactions between family members that contribute to individual distress and maintain psychological difficulties.
The premise of family therapy is that psychological problems do not exist in isolation within one person. They arise and are maintained within a relational context — and addressing that context directly is often essential for lasting change, both for the individual identified as the patient and for the family as a whole.
When a family member has a psychiatric diagnosis — schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, eating disorders, ADHD, or other conditions — the family context directly affects the patient's prognosis. High levels of expressed emotion in the family environment — criticism, hostility, or emotional over-involvement — are among the most well-evidenced predictors of relapse in serious psychiatric conditions. Family therapy that addresses these dynamics reduces relapse rates and improves long-term outcomes.
For eating disorders in adolescent patients, family-based treatment is a primary treatment component. The evidence base for family therapy in adolescent anorexia nervosa is particularly strong.
For children and adolescents presenting with behavioural difficulties, emotional problems, school refusal, or developmental challenges, working with the family system is often more effective than individual child therapy alone — or is an essential complement to it.
Family therapy also addresses relational difficulties without a formal psychiatric diagnosis: communication breakdowns, unresolved conflict, the impact of bereavement or trauma on family functioning, difficulties in the parent-child relationship, blended family adjustments, and intergenerational patterns affecting family wellbeing.
Family therapy sessions involve two or more family members working with the therapist simultaneously. The therapist observes and works with the patterns that emerge in the room — communication styles, alliances, silences, conflicts, and the roles each member occupies within the system.
Several evidence-based approaches are used, selected based on the clinical presentation and the family's goals:
Structural approaches focus on the organisation of the family system — boundaries, hierarchy, and subsystems — aiming to reorganise dysfunctional patterns.
Strategic approaches target specific problem patterns and the interactional sequences that maintain them, using focused interventions to disrupt and change these sequences.
Systemic approaches explore the meaning systems, narratives, and beliefs shaping the family's understanding of its difficulties, opening up new perspectives and possibilities.
Psychoeducational approaches — particularly relevant when a family member has a serious psychiatric condition — provide the family with clinical understanding of the condition and how family interactions can support or undermine recovery.
Family therapy sessions at IsraClinic are conducted in English, Russian and Hebrew — with all family members able to participate in their own language. The absence of a language barrier is particularly important in family work, where the nuances of communication between family members are a central focus.
For families in which a member is receiving psychiatric treatment, the family therapist and treating psychiatrist work in close coordination — ensuring the family work and the individual clinical treatment are aligned and mutually supportive.
All family therapy at IsraClinic is delivered within the framework of the Psychoergonomic Method — acknowledging that the patient exists within a relational system, and that effective treatment must account for the full context of their life.
Family therapy is indicated when relational dynamics within the family are contributing to individual distress or maintaining a clinical condition; when a family member has a serious psychiatric diagnosis and the family environment is a significant factor in their prognosis; when a child or adolescent is the identified patient; and when the family as a whole is experiencing significant difficulties.
It can be initiated at any stage — alongside individual treatment, as a complement to it, or as the primary therapeutic intervention.
IsraClinic accepts families for in-person consultation in Tel Aviv and online, in English, Russian and Hebrew. No referral is required.
Clinical Programme Curator: Valery Kravitz | IsraClinic | Last reviewed: 2026
Family difficulties affect everyone in the household. If you would like to discuss whether family therapy is appropriate for your situation, our team is available in English, Russian and Hebrew.