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Medical family therapy is a metaframework for psychotherapy with patients and families facing health problems. It is based on biopsychosocial systems theory and works to integrate the mind–body split by understanding the affect of physical illness or disability on emotional and interpersonal processes (and vice versa). Collaboration with patients and relevant family members, as well as with other health professionals, is part of the foundation of medical family therapy.
Common techniques include:
- taking a health history when learning about the presenting complaint
- eliciting the illness history
- including other health professionals in sessions when relevant
- understanding the transgenerational family health history and common coping strategies
- accepting unacceptable feelings
- alleviating blame and guilt
- grieving loss of function or ability
- strengthening the couple's or family's ability to face health problems
Infertility is a prevalent problem in the United States. Approximately 1 in 5 couples have difficulty conceiving. The stress and disappointment of not conceiving as expected, or "naturally," can result in adjustment disorders, depression, and couple and family problems.
Medical family therapy with women and couples struggling with infertility involves interventions such as
- normalizing the emotional response to this invisible problem
- examining the couple's individual and relational responses
- helping them take charge of the problem (which may or may not involve treatment)
- grieving the loss of an easy pregnancy
- developing rituals to deal with the monthly disappointment of not becoming pregnant
- protecting the couple's intimate life while being realistic about the frequent impact of medicalizing sexuality for procreation
- examining the emotional and financial costs of fertility treatments
- taking breaks from treatment for emotional reasons
- deciding "when to say when"
- dealing with extended family and friends' responses to the problem
- using community support groups
Return to Counseling Clients Who Have Trouble Conceiving
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