Wiki Individual or Family Psychotherapy?

[alzluticky]

Hello. I'm a bit green to family psychotherapy and need some clarification on what qualifies as family psychotherapy.

So I have a provider who sees a mother and adult son for therapy. The adult son invites his mother to participate in his sessions. However, from the providers notes, the mother interjects only at the prompt of the provider or not at all during the session. Is this still considered family psychotherapy because she was present in the session?

Thanks for any input in advance,
Amanda

 

[Skymom]

Family or couples therapy is when the dynamics of the relationship are the focus of the session. If the main objective of the therapy is to address issues that the son has with anything other than the relationship with his mother and how that may or may not affect his stress level, coping ability, anxiety, depression, etc, then it is an individual session.

If the mother is just listening, answering or clarifying background questions, and/or reporting her observation of symptoms (for example: noticing repetitive behavior, restless sleeping, outbursts/crying/refusing meds) and is maybe there to be a comfort to the son as he works through his therapy, then the session would be considered an individual counseling session.

Hope this helps!