Systemic Therapy (or Family therapy) is a rather new from of psycho therapy, developed in the 1980s.
In contrast to older forms of psycho therapy like Psychoanalysis, the systemic approach focuses on the desired future and on practical and realistic steps on the way there. Every action is considered useful even if it does not bring the desired result at the moment. Systemic therapy places little value on diagnosis and “disorder” or blaming a single person. In contrast, the bigger picture is kept in mind and the dependency of everybody in the system.
"Systemic therapy neither attempts a 'treatment of causes' nor of symptoms; rather it gives living systems nudges that help them to develop new patterns together, taking on a new organizational structure that allows growth." Arist von Schlippe and Jochen Schweitzer
By focusing on relationships, communication and solutions, systemic therapy is extremely effective. It has proven to be the ideal solution in many fields such as family counseling and couple therapy. Systemic therapy has enriched and inspired many other therapeutic approaches.