Functional Family Therapy is built on an integrated theoretical foundation and systematic research evidence that demonstrates its efficacy and effectiveness for reducing serious criminal behavior in youth aged 10 through their 18th birthday. As a true family therapy, FFT targets the family relational system as the entry point and primary target for systematic and individualized treatment. The FFT clinical model is appealing because of its clear identification of specific phases. Each phase includes specific goals, assessment foci, specific techniques of intervention, and therapist skills necessary for success designed to guide the therapist in working with the family to meet the short-term and long-term treatment goals.
The major goals of Functional Family Therapy are to:
- Engage and motivate youth and their families by decreasing the intense negativity (blaming, hopelessness) so often characteristic of these families. Rather than ignoring or being paralyzed by the intense negative experiences these families often bring (e.g., cultural isolation and racism, loss and deprivation, abandonment, abuse, depression).
- Reduce and eliminate the problem behaviors and accompanying family relational patterns through individualized behavior change interventions. During this phase, FFT integrates a strong cognitive/attributional component into systematic skill training in family communication, parenting, problem-solving, and conflict management skills.
- Generalize changes across problem situations by increasing the family’s capacity to adequately utilize community resources, and engage in relapse prevention.
If you are interested in receiving more information about the FFT program, please contact Dayna Price, LPC-S via email or call (985) 868-2620.