Filial Therapy

Filial Therapy is a relationship therapy that uses a psychoeducational model of intervention. It is intended to not only support children who may be enduring social, emotional, social or behavioural difficulties but to strengthen the child/ parent bond which in turn promotes the healthy development of the child and family. ​ 

 

It is a model of play therapy, however rather than the therapist conducting the therapy sessions the therapist teaches parents new behaviours' and skills in order for them to conduct special humanistic nondirective play sessions with their own children. During the therapy these play sessions are conducted under the therapist's direct supervision.

 

Bernard Guerney created Filial Therapy in the USA in the early 1960s.  Guerney acknowledged that parents are the most important people to their own children and more often than not are involved with their children on a daily basis. His idea was that if parents acted as therapists to their own children it would be more likely that there would be a therapeutic transformation and it would be more lasting. 

 

The idea is that the parents become partners in the therapeutic process and through the acquisition of new skills and knowledge, they are empowered to become the primary change agents with their own children

 

Guerney believed that when the parents conducted play sessions using these newly acquired positive skills that their children would develop a new perception of them and this would have a positive impact on the parent-child relationship in everyday life

What are the AIMS of Filial Therapy?

 

VanFleet (2012) outlines the below the aims for the children, parents and families (p. 10).

 

Filial therapy aims to help children to: 

 

• Develop an understanding of their own feelings.

• Express their feeling in appropriate ways to meet their needs better.

• Make better choices and take responsibility for them.

• Reduce their problematic behaviour.

• Work through their conflicts and dilemmas to improve their adjustments.

• Increase their trust in their parents.

• Increase their self -esteem and confidence.

 

Filial therapy aims to help parents to: 

 

• Develop an increased understanding of their children’s development.

• Develop and increased understanding of their children’s feelings and motivations.

• Learn about the importance of play and emotion in overall adjustment.

• Learn additional childrearing skills and ideas to bring positive results.

• Open up their communication with their children.

• Develop their self-confidence as parents.

• Increase their feelings of warmth and trust towards their children.

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Filial therapy aims to help families to:

 

• Reduce or eliminate the problem that brought the family into therapy.

• Help the family prevent future problems.

• Strengthen the parent-child relationships within the family.

• Improve the family’s communication abilities.

• Improve the families coping abilities.

• Develop more flexibility within the family.

• Increase the family’s ability to have more fun together.

• Provide the family with tools and ideas that they can use in the future.

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Five Principles of Filial Therapy

 

1. The focus is on the relationship between the children and their parents rather than on the individuals.

2. In the change process, parents are considered essential partners

3. The parents are considered to be capable of learning new skills and attitudes.

4. There is a unwaiving belief in the vital importance of parents in their children’s lives

5. There is a fundamental belief in the importance of parents in their children's lives.

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  The Filial Sequence