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Systemic Family Therapy (FTAI) incorporates individual, couple and family therapy.

What is special about Family Therapy?
Family Therapy is the most popularly recognised descriptive title for a body of practice and theory which continues to evolve and to grow at an extraordinary rate. Originally, the approach was distinguished by the practice of including entire families in the therapy process rather than an individual client. This practice continues, but is not a necessary aspect of the approach.
The principle which informed Family Therapy from the time of its inception in the 1950s has been to transcend simple cause and effect explanations which located deficits within the individual, and to include those aspects of the client’s context in the therapy process which will enable them to manage, resolve or better understand their difficulty.
It is this ecological view which attends to the interconnectedness of people, of beliefs and of all things, which characterises Family Therapy rather than the number of people sitting in the therapy room.

How do Family Therapists view problems and reality?
Many Family Therapists seek to engage the clients in a collaborative exploration of their presenting dilemma, focusing on the beliefs, and the interactions which maintain the difficulty or which prevent its resolution. By better understanding the interconnectedness of the biological, the social and the psychological dimensions of the problem, choices are introduced, conflicts are transcended and new patterns of understanding are generated.

A significant part of each one’s experience is the beliefs, the language, the stories and values which constitute our life experience. We are not only born into a material and physical reality, but also into a multilayered complex weave of beliefs and behaviours, which for most of us are, initially at least, of a family nature. This strongly influences our developing ‘reality’. We are born into the world totally dependent on one or more caring adults, and if the constitutional and contextual aspects of our lives are supportive enough, we learn to operate more independently and to exercise choice in our lives more effectively. This requires an appreciation of the interdependence of our lives, of the world in which we live, and the limits and possibilities which it contains.
We constantly explore the limits and possibilities of relying on previous learning and exploring new ways and new beliefs. We may be strongly influenced to find ways of being which contrast with some of our significant life experiences, or we may repeat our experiences, often with the assumption that this is how the world is, and how everyone should be.

When two or more people live in close proximity, we can expect that differences, and inevitably conflicts, will ensue. This is part of the rich weave of our lives which continue to challenge us and to teach us.

Sometimes, our adult lives may be thrown into inner turmoil, we may experience self-doubts, destructive feelings or immobilising depression or anxiety. These disturbing experiences may be triggered by what would be relatively small or manageable difficulties for others, and even for ourselves in somewhat different circumstances. Such problems are frequently related to early life and usually early family aspects of our lives. Our difficulty trusting others, exercising choice or living with an adequate level of autonomy may be related to not having had sufficiently secure, loving or affirming experiences in our early family relationships.
More recent traumas, abuse, oppression or unresolved conflict may also contribute to distressing inner feelings, which can be successfully resolved in Family Therapy.

What do Family Therapists do?
Family Therapists universally employ the most inclusive frame to help clients make sense of their doubts or confusions. Some Family Therapists put most emphasis on exploring the beliefs, some the language and stories and some the repeating behaviour patterns. They may also elect to examine the attempted solutions or to focus attention on experiences which work well for the client, their successful solutions.

How many attend Family Therapy together?
The extent to which Family Therapists will emphasise including others in the process also varies. With relationship problems, we usually prefer to include the main participants. It is not uncommon for parents to successfully attend a series of consultations regarding one of their children, without the child being present.
Extended family members may be invited or partners or others who are significantly involved in the client’s life and difficulty. It is also common for individuals to attend alone, when the focus will include the significant relationships of their lives as the context of their emotional and psychological realities. Agreeing who will attend is usually an integral part of the exploratory process.

Some Family Therapists may also apply their systemic perspective to organisations such as schools, voluntary agencies, businesses and especially to family businesses. Consultation can help organisations to resolve intra organisations relationship problems and to address and to improve procedures and practices which influence their relationship with their consumers.
The systemic consultant’s focus will, again, include the context of the problem and can result in appreciating and fine tuning the ways in which the organisation responds to internal change and the range of changing external needs. The organisation, as the individual, can benefit by developing capacities of self-direction and responsivity.

Contact address:
Family Therapy Association of Ireland (FTAI)
73 Quinn’s Road
Shankill
Dublin 18
Tel: 01 272 2105 / 087 405 8492

Email: ftaioffice@nullgmail.com

web: www.familytherapyireland.com

The psychotherapeutic profession is a separate scientific profession. Accreditation as a psychotherapist generally requires at least seven years of training comprising a primary degree, and four years part-time training in one of the psychotherapeutic disciplines. Professional trainings are provided in both the training institutes and Universities in Ireland. The baseline academic qualification for entry to training in any of the Disciplines / Modalities / Sections is:

• Undergraduate degree or equivalent in human sciences (medical, psychological, social, educational etc); Humanities or Philosophy.
• Assessment of suitability interview.
• Each modality adheres to the training standards set down by the Irish Council for Psychotherapy and the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP).

The Irish Council for Psychotherapy  acts as an awarding body on behalf of the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP), conferring the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) in Ireland. The criteria for the awarding of this Certificate form the minimum training requirements and entry criteria for all modalities of psychotherapy.

We are currently in the process of accrediting our existing practitioners in relation to the European Certificate and ensuring that all training courses in Ireland are meeting the European standard. The criteria for accreditation of training courses in Ireland can be found in the Training Accreditation Committee (TAC) document.

Because the ICP doesn’t accredit trainings in general, it is better to enquire directly to the designated discipline relevant to the training. ICP is an umbrella organisation with three disciplines (Couple and Family Therapy – Systemic Psychotherapies; Humanistic and Integrative Therapy; Psychoanalytic Therapy) encompassing 9 member organisations. Three of the disciplines have one organisation affiliated with it and Psychoanalytic Therapy discipline has seven organisations. For further information, please download ICP Member Organisations Contact Details.

The FAQ What Does Membership of the ICP Mean to Me as a Client? also describes the depth and length of education and training.

European Certificate of Psychotherapy

The ICP has been involved in the development of the European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP) in conjunction with the European Association for Psychotherapy (EAP). The European Certificate stipulates that the total duration of the training for psychotherapists is 3,200 hours spread over a minimum of seven years. This seven year period comprises an initial under-graduate component, or equivalent, followed by a specific psychotherapy training. Nearly 300 of the ICP members to date have been awarded the European Certificate. Many more applications are in process.

The EAP promotes the recognition of common standards of training for psychotherapists throughout Europe, and will ensure their mobility across member states. While the European Association for Psychotherapy does not have power to legally implement the certificate before it is adopted by member states, they have recommended it to the national coordinators of member states and welcome it as an initiative in establishing joint platforms which will facilitate the employment of migrants within the European Union.

Strasbourg Declaration on Psychotherapy

About ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy)

There are two possible ways to apply for an ECP, one way is the Direct Award (DA) through one of the European Accredited Psychotherapy Training Institutes (EAPTIs), and the other way is to apply is through grandparenting procedure that involves recommendation from EAP National Awarding Organization (NAO) and European Wide Awarding Organization (EWAO).

About ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy)

How to Apply for An ECP

The ECP – Important Information for ECP (European Certificate of Psychotherapy) Application

Documents | ECP Application Forms by Grandparenting

CV Structure for ECP Application by Grandparenting

Notification by the NAO of Recommendations for the Award of the ECP by Grandparenting

Practitioner Registration Form for ECP

Psychotherapists are grouped into three sections based on their different therapeutic approaches. Each section has training standards, a code of ethics and complaints and disciplinary procedures. Each adheres to the study and training standards set down by the Irish Council for Psychotherapy in order to maintain high standards.

Couple and Family Therapy

In couple and family therapy, the client and therapist examine the emotional, psychological and interpersonal problems which arise in the way people understand and make sense of their experiences and their relationship to others. When two or more people live in close proximity, we can expect that differences, and inevitably conflicts, will ensue.

This is part of the rich weave of our lives which continue to challenge us and to teach us. Sometimes our adult lives may be thrown into turmoil by difficulties which would be relatively small or manageable difficulties for others and even for ourselves in somewhat different circumstances. Options are provided for different ways to respond and relate to problems.

Goals are usually achieved over a relatively small number of meetings with intervals of two to four weeks between appointments. Read More >>

Humanistic and Integrative Therapy

This approach invites people to develop awareness as to what may be preventing them from accessing their own true nature in the inner and outer expressions of their life. It is aimed at the person as a whole: body, feelings, mind and psyche. It invites people through the therapeutic relationship to develop awareness and insight leading to an integration of the internal and external self. It explores each person’s own resources and capacity for self-determination and ability to improve their lives. Read More >>

Psychoanalytic Therapy

This endeavours to reach the underlying, often unconscious sources of a person’s distress. Together with the therapist, the client can explore feelings, memories, fantasies, free association and dreams, relating to both past and present.

It is aimed at achieving a new and better understanding of long-standing difficulties.

This section is composed of seven organisations. Read More >>