Introduction
Family and systemic psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment approach for a range of mental health conditions across the age range. It is recommended in several NICE guidelines, including those for eating disorders, self-harm, conduct disorder and depression. Family and systemic psychotherapy encompasses a broad range of different therapeutic models, concepts and techniques. These ideas are sometimes described using language that can seem unfamiliar and complex to newcomers. This session will demystify the family and systemic psychotherapy field and provide some clinical takeaways that attendees can put into practice straight away. The first aim of this session is to introduce family and systemic psychotherapy, including its key principles. The second aim is to help attendees to gain some practical ways in which they can put systemic principles into practice in their own clinical work.
The event will be equivalent to 2.3/4 hrs of CPD.
Content
The training will begin with a brief overview of family and systemic psychotherapy, including its key principles, history and evidence base. As hinted at by its name, family and systemic psychotherapy initially focussed on the family unit, but over time broadened its interest to include wider ‘systems’ in society, including ethnicity, class, gender and sexuality. We will argue that the unifying concept within family and systemic psychotherapy is the notion that people influence, and are influenced by, the systems around them. This includes both family members (the ‘family system’) as well as their wider social contexts. We will then consider how systemic ideas and techniques can be incorporated into clinical practice across assessment, formulation and treatment. We will show how systemic questions can be used to ‘bring’ family members, as well as wider systems such as class or ethnicity, into the therapy room, even when working with individuals.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the webinar and associated resources participants will:
• Understand what is meant by family and systemic psychotherapy
• Be able to describe some key principles and techniques within family and systemic psychotherapy
• Understand how systemic principles can inform assessment, formulation and treatment within routine clinical practice
Training Modalities
The session will include lecture content, live role play demonstration, reflective exercises, live demonstration, Q&A, and polls.
Key References
Carr, A. (2025). Couple therapy and systemic interventions for adult-focused problems: The evidence base. Journal of Family Therapy, 47(1), e12481. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12481
Carr, A. (2025). Family therapy and systemic interventions for child-focussed problems: The evidence base. Journal of Family Therapy, 47(1), e12476. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6427.12476
McGrath, A., & Jewell, T. (2024). Family therapy in the treatment of child and adolescent eating disorders. Cutting Edge Psychiatry in Practice, 6, 194-200. https://cepip.org/article/family-therapy-treatment-child-and-adolescent-eating-disorders
Rivett, M., & Buchmüller, J. (2017). Family therapy skills and techniques in action. Abingdon: Routledge.
About the presenter
Tom is a family therapist and clinical academic with interests in CAMHS and eating disorders. He works as a lecturer at King’s College London and works clinically as a family therapist at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). Tom has worked clinically across a range of different CAMHS teams, including inpatient services, community CAMHS and specialist eating disorders services. His PhD investigated predictors of outcome in family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa. His current funded research projects include understanding the impact of calories on menus on people with eating disorders and helping to develop a UK-wide clinical research network for eating disorders.
Claire is the Consultant Lead for Family Therapy at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Prior to this she worked in a range of services spanning the NHS, Social Care and the Third Sector as a clinician, leader and manager. She has a keen interest in the family and psychological impact of living with physical health conditions, the importance of multi-disciplinary support, working with the family and related health networks, and with this, the key role of systemic thinking in teaching, training and consultation. Her doctorate looked at white ethnicity in clinical/therapeutic practice and alongside this, she maintains a strong commitment to anti racist and anti-discriminatory practice having developed interventions to take this forward.
Who should attend
This event is designed for practitioners working in mental health with children. This may include primary care low and high intensity practitioners, nurses, psychologists and other mental health professionals.