Most insurance plans will cover either all or a portion of the treatment.
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SUD treatment executive, national news contributor & keynote speaker.
Navigation:
- Overview
- The Process: What Happens in Family of Origin Therapy?
- Self-Awareness: Benefits of Family of Origin Therapy
- Applying Family of Origin Therapy Revelations in Post-Treatment Recovery
- Find Rehabs That Offer Family of Origin Therapy
Overview
Family of origin therapy is a technique often used in addiction therapy that compels participants to examine how their childhood family units and earliest relationships during their formative years influenced their behavior. When applied in addiction treatment, the technique focuses specifically on how early family interactions and dynamics influenced substance abuse and associated mental health issues.
Family, whether it’s biological or chosen, is often among the first casualties of addiction. Prolonged and untreated substance abuse frequently strains familial relationships to the breaking point, whether it’s through deception, assault, manipulation, or any other toxic circumstance.
People in active addiction often hurt the people they love the most, however unintentionally, simply because they’re closest to them and willing to tolerate their behavior the longest. When these relationships are strained to the point of alienation, it often takes targeted and focused therapy to get them back on track.
At the same time, family can be a catalyst and launching point for substance abuse because of the dysfunction and trauma people experience within their earliest family units. Family of origin therapy helps people explore and contextualize these problematic histories to help them overcome their trauma and move forward in their recovery.
The Process: What Happens in Family of Origin Therapy?
Family of origin therapy is predicated on the assertion that each one of us is ultimately the product of our earliest environments. To that end, it helps explore the belief structures, value systems, and perceptions we form by taking cues from our earliest influences. Very often, whether people realize it or not, these ingrained and sometimes problematic developmental patterns can steer people directly to self-destructive behaviors, such as substance abuse.
Working with an experienced and qualified practitioner, patients in family of origin therapy move through the process by:
- Identifying early patterns that have led or contributed to substance use
- Understanding the link between these patterns and problematic behavior
- Working to reframe and overcome these patterns and experiences
- Challenging these deep-seated beliefs to achieve independence and peace of mind
Family of origin therapy is often administered alongside other techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing for a comprehensive treatment experience. It can be offered in both inpatient and outpatient settings and often continues well beyond patients’ initial treatment programs. The process can often take years to fully complete, as the issues explored during therapy are complex and can leave patients emotionally vulnerable and initially reluctant to recognize their familial problems. One of the most valuable applications of family of origin therapy is helping to unravel patterns of inherited substance use disorder through generations, and how they can impact current lives and behaviors.
Self-Awareness: Benefits of Family of Origin Therapy
Family of origin therapy is used to treat a wide array of mental challenges that can either occur alongside or independently of substance use disorder, including, but not limited to:
- Depressive disorder
- Anxiety and fear
- Anger issues
- Unresolved trauma and PTSD
- Conflict aversion
- Communication barriers
Some of the most common examples of scenarios explored during family of origin therapy include role modeling, expectations of relationship roles, financial priorities and responsibility, gender roles, and domestic abuse. These issues can directly influence life choices that can trigger substance use and other harmful behaviors. Family of origin therapy also compels participants to reexamine their pre-established ideas of love and support so they can apply these insights to future relationships with their own families.
Applying Family of Origin Therapy Revelations in Post-Treatment Recovery
As valuable and necessary as the process is, family of origin therapy can bring sensitive issues to the forefront that make it hard to navigate current relationships with family members. If people are still close and connected to their family of origin, the process can fundamentally change perceptions and dynamics going forward. For example, if a person starts to realize that their relationship with a parent or sibling was less healthy than they thought, it can be hard to relate to that loved one in the same way after therapy.
To make matters even more complicated, people often rely on family as a pillar of support when they’re starting to rebuild their lives in recovery. Any threat or dysharmony in these relationships can create instability, which can lead to relapse.
Here are a few tips that can help make the process easier:
- Respectfully communicate what you’ve discovered in therapy
- Be honest about your needs within the relationship going forward
- Refrain from judgment whenever possible
- Trust yourself and the progress you’ve made in therapy
- Be respectfully assertive when necessary
Your therapist will help you develop specific strategies for navigating your family relationships based on your unique experiences and dynamics. The reality is that, while some issues unearthed in family of origin therapy are more common than others, each person’s origin story is different and requires a unique and personalized level of care. This includes behavioral that is fully integrated with medical treatment for a seamless patient experience.
Find Rehabs That Offer Family of Origin Therapy
Find addiction treatment centers that offer Family of Origin Therapy by using our nationwide directory. This specialized approach helps individuals explore and heal the deep-rooted patterns and emotional wounds formed in their family environment. Whether you’re looking for inpatient or outpatient care, our directory connects you with accredited facilities that integrate Family of Origin Therapy into their recovery programs. Start your search today to find a rehab that addresses the underlying causes of addiction and supports lasting emotional growth and sobriety.
