Family Therapy
Family Therapy is the act of counselors, psychologists, therapists, and pastors trying to help families, couples experiencing issues due to disillusionment, hurt hopelessness, among others. Families who seek therapy always have a scar from pain, sin, and tragedy (Yarhouse & Sells, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion on family therapy in the treatment of mental health, and the history of the field of marriage.
The pioneers basing their arguments in Christianity traditions and Christian faith thought that they had discovered the treatment of mental health problems. In the context of Christianity, the biblical narrative of a family is seen as God as the father (1 Corinthians 16:19), Christians as children of God (Romans 8:15).In the Old Testament, a family is best at its function and not in its structure, completing Gods redemption and not how they appear. Family members participate in family affairs, thus forming a family union but do not lose their personality to God (Yarhouse & Sells, 2017). The union of a family as intended by God was to bring a woman and man together in a monogamous marriage as they should families not while separated.
Family relationships are a key to how family members ought to relate with one another; Timothy is indebted to his mother for his knowledge and character (2 Timothy 1:5). Mental health narrowly focuses on the self as an individual, thus basing more weight in a family as a unit forgetting the self-interests and respect. The Christian view of the self is too thin to delight in God’s image, as expressed in the Christian tradition. The pioneers thought that basing the foundations of a family on Christianity would help treat mental health but forgetting to manage a family as a mutual individual expression. Self-denial is a concept that is not discussed in the Christian idea while understanding the models of family therapy.
The history of the field of marriage and family therapy is traced to two traditions, which include the theological/philosophical tradition that brought caregiving to self-individuals in families and marriages. The other was the scientific/professional tradition that integrated psychologists in family and marriage institutions with medicine. Psychologists are educated through professional science into the family intermediations.
Studying human behavior as a profession is traced back from the era of world war 11, while the act of providing family therapy is traced from the Eastern and Western societies. Family therapy is divided into three eras, the era of family ministry, the period of family science, and the era of social constructivist (Gurman, 2014). These eras brought about the establishment of professional with a distinct theory, therapy, and identity.
Feminism and multiculturalism arose from humanities and science as the female’s voice was recognized in marriages and family counseling. Doctrine training programs in family therapy and marriage came to be when postmodern and feminist was transforming. Institutions that offer Christian advice in mental health have increased, and scholars have invested in religious philosophies (Gurman, 2014). Previous studies focused mainly on social family development, while the latest context focuses more on the family as a ministry in the church setting.
In conclusion, the family therapy and marriages has been improved by the role that the Christian pastors and counselors have played in offering family care. Professional interventions with a scientific basis have helped Christians shape their families by developing theories and religious-based interventions, thus reclaiming their lost role.
References
Gurman, A. S., & Kniskern, D. P. (2014). Handbook of family therapy. Routledge.
Yarhouse, M. A., & Sells, J. N. (2017). Family therapies: A comprehensive Christian appraisal. InterVarsity Press.