What is a primary focus of strategic family therapy?

Strategic family therapy primarily focuses on changing family communication patterns. This approach is grounded in the belief that many family problems arise from dysfunctional communication and interaction styles within the family system. By emphasizing the need for change in these patterns, strategic family therapy employs specific interventions and techniques aimed at redirecting communication and altering behaviors within the family unit.

The therapist often works to identify specific issues, problem-solving approaches, and dynamics that contribute to the family's distress, and then develops strategies to shift these patterns. This could involve direct communication strategies, behavioral assignments, or the re-framing of situations to help family members perceive and respond to one another differently.

While understanding historical family dynamics is important in some therapeutic frameworks, strategic family therapy prioritizes the present interactions over the historical context. Similarly, individual assessments and addressing individual psychological issues are typically not the main focus; rather, the therapy centers on the collective dynamics of the family system and how those can be altered to foster healthier relationships.