A Filial Therapy Model Through a Family Therapy Lens

Abstract

The call for family-centered therapeutic services, especially for families of young children, has come from governmental organizations, professional associations, practitioners, and families. Play therapists and family therapists are prime candidates to provide such services, but professional research and literature suggest that practitioners within these fields tend to exclude members of the family system. This had led some to propose filial therapy, an outgrowth of child-centered play therapy, as a means of meaningfully integrating parents and children in treatment. However, play therapists may have difficultly conceptualizing from a family systems lens, while family therapists may struggle to see the theoretical compatibility of filial therapy with their systemic views. This article demonstrates the conceptual overlap between filial therapy and the major family therapy models with the goal of encouraging play therapists and family therapists to answer the call to provide family-centered services.

The Impact of Supervised Filial Therapy Training on Attitude, Knowledge, and Skills

“…CPRT centers on the view that a secure relationship between parent and child is the healing factor for children’s emotional well-being, and a secure parent–child relationship is essential for healthy growth and development. The CPRT facilitator has a strong belief and trust in the parent and child’s ability to change and engage in new ways; this perspective is consistent with family therapists’ belief in the resourcefulness of the family system and desire for the family to interact in ways that are more meaningful and helpful in their interactions (Cornett, 2012). In CPRT, therapists focus on helping parents see their role in the current relationship problem, remove attention from the child as the sole source of the concern, and regain parental control by creating boundaries and offering children opportunities to develop self-control (Johnson, 1995; Landreth & Bratton, 2006).…”

“…Filial therapy offers both play therapists and family therapists a means to incorporate the family system and a variety of family members, especially young children, into the therapeutic process, instead of dividing or excluding members from the therapeutic intervention (Cornett, 2012). Filial therapy is a parent-training model that focuses on the parent–child relationship and the significant role this relationship plays in a child’s emotional well-being and development.…”

“…Guerney, 2000; Landreth & Bratton, 2006; VanFleet, 2005). According to Cornett (2012), filial therapy can also facilitate change in the family as a unit, “within children and parents, between children and parents, and between the relationship of others in the family system” (p. 276).…”

Terapia Filial: Filial Therapy With Hispanic and Latinx Clients

“…Like mentioned earlier, it appears that FT works with the Hispanic and Latinx community due to the emphasis on strengthening the family unit, which can include caregivers (extended family or family friends). The FT approach is inclusive in its focus on the dynamics of the parent, the child, the parent–child relationship, and the family as a whole (Cornett, 2012). FT benefits the Hispanic and Latinx population due to many cultural considerations since the focus is child-centered, it can bring out particular values within the Hispanic and Latinx customs.…”

A review of play therapy interventions for chronic illness: Applications to childhood obesity prevention and treatment.

“…There has been a call from governmental organizations and professional associations for the development of family-centered therapeutic services directed at young children under 12 years old (Cornett, 2012; Landreth & Bratton, 2006). Interventions that are developmentally appropriate for children should incorporate what children do naturally: play.…”