Family Therapy and Family Counselling in Brisbane

Family counselling with registered psychologists & counsellors

Family therapy is a form of counselling that works with the relationships between family members, rather than treating one person as “the problem”. Sessions help families communicate more clearly, reduce conflict, and work through difficult times such as separation, a blended family forming, a teenager struggling, or grief.

Psychologists and counsellors in attendance at our Centre provide a safe, respectful space where parents, young people and other family members can talk about what is happening and learn practical skills to do things differently at home. You can attend as a whole family, as parents only, or as a parent and young person together, depending on what will help most.

Please call (07) 3831 4452 to speak with our reception team about who might be the best fit for your family.

Written and clinically reviewed by Natascha Madden, Registered Psychologist (AHPRA reg. PSY0000953827), Brisbane Counselling Centre. Last reviewed: October 2026

What is family therapy?

Family therapy is counselling for two or more family members that focuses on how they relate to, communicate with and affect each other.

Every family develops patterns over time: who speaks up, who withdraws, how disagreements are handled, and what happens when someone is hurt. Most of the time these patterns work well enough. When stress builds or circumstances change, the same patterns can keep a family stuck in conflict or distance.

A family therapist helps everyone step back and see those patterns more clearly, without blame. The aim is not to decide who is right. It is to help each person understand the others, express their needs safely, and agree on changes the whole family can live with.

Who attends family therapy sessions?

Who attends depends on your family and what you are hoping to change.

• The whole family – useful when the issue affects everyone, such as ongoing conflict at home or adjusting after a separation or a loss.
• Parents only – often the most effective starting point, particularly with younger children, or when parents want to get on the same page first.
• A parent and a young person – helpful when the relationship between one parent and one child has become strained.
• Separated parents – co-parenting sessions focus on the children’s needs and on reducing conflict between households.
• Individual sessions alongside family sessions – sometimes one family member also benefits from their own counselling.

Everyone attending needs to know why they are coming and needs to have some say in it. People who feel pressured into therapy often find it harder to take part, so being honest with family members about the reason for the appointment makes a real difference.

Joint family sessions are not appropriate where someone in the family is not safe, for example where there is family violence or coercive control. In those situations your practitioner will talk with you about safer ways to get support. If you are concerned about your safety, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, or call 000 in an emergency.

What happens in family therapy?

The first session is about understanding your family. Your psychologist or counsellor will ask what has been happening, how each person sees it, and what everyone would like to be different. You do not need to prepare anything, although it can help to note a few examples of situations that have been hard.

From there, sessions focus on practical change: how you talk to each other, how you handle disagreements, how decisions are made, and how each person can feel heard. Many families also take small tasks home to practise between appointments.

The approaches most often used are:

Systemic family therapy – Looks at how each person’s behaviour affects, and is affected by, the rest of the family, so that patterns can change rather than one person being blamed.

Structural family therapy – Focuses on roles, boundaries and hierarchy in the family, such as whether parents are working as a team and whether children are carrying adult responsibilities.

Narrative family therapy – Helps families separate people from problems and build a new shared understanding of difficult events.

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) – Practical skills for communication, problem-solving and managing strong emotions, for both parents and young people.

Attachment-focused approaches – Strengthening the emotional connection and sense of safety between parents and children.

Where one family member has been affected by trauma, individual work such as EMDR may be recommended alongside family sessions. If the main difficulty is between two partners, couples and marriage counselling may be a better starting point.

Your practitioner will recommend an approach once they understand your family, rather than applying one model to every family. You can read more about what a typical session looks like.

How long does family therapy take?

Many families notice a real change within six to ten sessions, especially when the focus is on a specific issue such as communication or adjusting to a change. Longer-standing or more complex difficulties, such as conflict after a difficult separation or the effects of trauma, may need more time. Your practitioner will discuss a likely timeframe with you after the first appointment.

Help is available

Every family goes through difficult times. Reaching out for help is a sign that you care about your family and want things to be better. A caring, experienced psychologist or counsellor can help your family understand each other, reduce conflict and feel more connected at home.

Please call (07) 3831 4452 to speak with our reception team, or send us a message. The Brisbane psychologists and counsellors are available to help.

If you need urgent support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25), both available 24 hours. In an emergency, call 000.