Demystifying the Different Types of Couples & Family Therapy

By: Kristen Sohlman, MACP, RP​

There are a number of different modalities or types of couples and family therapy. Here is a quick look at some common types.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT is a type of couples and family therapy that is short term having only a limited number of sessions that helps families to look at their thoughts, thought patterns, behaviour, and actions. Therapists help families to find new and healthier ways to think and act in order to cope with difficult situations. Each family member may be assigned tasks for homework to complete outside of the therapy session.

Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)

EFFT is a type of couples and family therapy that helps families process experiences within the family.  Therapists help families to learn about how they communicate, the patterns of interactions that exist within the family, and how feelings and emotions are expressed between family members. EFFT also looks at the importance of attachment, or the emotional bond, that connects you to other people in your family in order to create more secure bonds and trust within family relationships.

The Gottman Method

The Gottman Method is a type of couple’s therapy that uses assessment of the couple’s relationship (i.e., evaluating the nature and quality of the relationship) to build a treatment plan for couples to build healthier relationships with one another. The Gottman Method may include a focus on building love maps, sharing fondness and admiration, turning towards (as opposed to turning away from each other), the positive perspective (seeing your partner as a friend versus an adversary), managing conflict, making life dreams come true, creating shared meaning, and building trust and commitment.

Family Systems Therapy

Family Systems Therapy is a type of couples and family therapy that helps families resolve problems and conflicts within the family.  Therapists help families to express their thoughts and feelings, to learn about family dynamics and how their own actions affect other family members and the family as a whole in order to learn healthier ways of being within the family unit.

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