Family Therapy and the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Course overview

This text serves as a guide to the use of family therapy methods and techniques in the treatment of substance abuse disorder in the context of overall support provided to families dealing with addiction. With a focus on the use of the techniques and concepts of family therapy drawing upon the Bowen Family Systems Theory, in conjunction with principals underlying the 12 Step Program, the text provides a broader scope of treatment than individual-focused approaches alone. In its recognition and acknowledgement of the many and diverse ways family systems impact substance abuse disorder, this multifactored alternative to more common individual-focused models and interventions acknowledges the role of family systems in impacts, using discussion questions and case narratives of former addicts.