Functional Family Therapy Online

Thomas Sexton, PhD, is one of the developers of functional family therapy, or FFT, a systematic, evidenced-based approach that focuses on treating a wide range of problems affecting youth, such as substance abuse, conduct disorder, truancy, and related family problems.

One of the primary components of the FFT model involves shaping the family’s motivation to change by fostering more positive self-perceptions in each family member. Evidence-based interventions and treatment planning make up the core of the approach, including a post-session feedback form to elicit information about how therapy is working for the family. This feedback is used to shape subsequent sessions, increasing the likelihood for positive outcomes.

In this video program, Dr. Sexton demonstrates this approach with a family of four, including adolescent twin daughters who are exhibiting behavioral issues in school and at home. In the interview with host Dr. Laura Levin, Dr. Sexton discusses how he worked with all family members to foster a collaborative alliance to effect positive change.

This session features a family portrayed by actors on the basis of a composite of different cases.

Functional family therapy (FFT) is systematic, evidenced-based, manual driven, family-based treatment program successful in treating a wide range of problems affecting youth (including drug use and abuse, conduct disorder, mental health concerns, truancy, and related family problems) and their families in a wide range of multi-ethnic, multicultural, and geographic contexts. Over the past decades, FFT has been implemented in more than 300 communities helping more than 40,000 youth and families each year in the United States and in Europe.

More importantly, FFT is family-focused and built on the principle that youth problems are embedded in multisystemic, family risk and protective factors. Successful change is a process that is alliance based, obtainable, short-term, and family-focused.

For youth and families, FFT is about a way to help guide families to be empowered to manage life in ways that match the family. For referral agencies, FFT is a way of working that is collaborative, to help youth and families be successful in making positive changes.

Thomas Sexton, PhD, is one of the model developers of functional family therapy. He is a retired professor in psychology (from Indiana University), a diplomate in couple and family psychology and a licensed (retired) psychologist.

Thomas lives in Bloomington, Indiana and has extensive experiencing working with families with youth in the juvenile justice system and in training professional to use FFT. Thomas travels around the work giving workshops, doing demonstrations, and training in FFT.

APA Videos

Family Therapy Over Time
Susan H. McDaniel

Brief Strategic Family Therapy in Practice
José Szapocznik

Emotion-Focused Family Therapy
Adele Lafrance

Integrative Systemic Therapy With Couples
William M. Pinsof

Attachment-Based Family Therapy
Guy S. Diamond

Functional Family Therapy for High-Risk Adolescents
James F. Alexander

Stepfamily Therapy in Practice
Scott Browning

APA Books

Intervening in Children's Lives: An Ecological, Family-Centered Approach to Mental Health Care
Thomas J. Dishion and Elizabeth A. Stormshak

Family Therapy
William J. Doherty and Susan H. McDaniel

Couple and Family Therapy: An Integrative Map of the Territory
Jay Lebow

Attachment-Based Psychotherapy: Helping Patients Develop Adaptive Capacities
Peter C. Costello