With increasing life and social demands on children, teenagers, and college students, stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addiction, and other serious mental health challenges continue to rise. Frequently, individual therapy and parent guidance are recommended and implemented for support. However, after working in the field for over 25 years, I have come to recognize that family therapy is frequently absent or minimal in this therapeutic journey. This is often the case even with partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs, where the child may be at serious risk.

This is surprising and confusing, as so often in the depths of mental health challenges, the family is under tremendous stress. Hence, family conflict, parental disagreements, poor communication, barriers to participation and involvement (especially for parents of 16-year-olds and above), misinformation, and lack of cohesive family engagement ensue. Our mental health challenges do not occur in isolation; they are embedded in the family system and impact all family members in profound ways. Family therapy could be a powerful intervention to support not only the client but also create bridges and integration to navigate, guide, and lead the family to healing.

Family Therapy is a well-established therapeutic approach that includes any and all family members who may be significantly involved in the client’s........

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