family therapy

American  

noun

1. the psychotherapeutic treatment of more than one member of a family simultaneously at the same session, based on the assumption that problems can best be understood and corrected by observing the interaction of family members and identifying methods for improving their interrelationships.

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family therapy British  

noun

1. a form of psychotherapy in which the members of a family participate, with the aim of improving communications between them and the ways in which they relate to each other

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Etymology

Origin of family therapy

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Adopted children who have been moved first into foster care, and then into an adoptive family, struggle to feel safe, says Emma, and the family therapy was aimed at addressing that.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

Larry Barlow, assistant professor of marriage and family therapy at Capella University, recounts a personal episode that brought him and his wife up short.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

“You’ve got to know how you feel,” says Patrick Yao, a marriage and family therapy trainee at Pelican Cove.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2024

“Students receive individual and family therapy by our licensed clinicians. We provide evidence-based training for our staff who are guided by our policies and procedures.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 27, 2023

Besides having to endure sessions with Ms. Fernandez, I had family therapy with Luke.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter