Discovering the challenges of therapeutic communication in family therapy interventions: A phenomenological qualitative study

This study was conducted to discover the challenges of therapeutic communication in family therapy interventions. The research method was a qualitative method and phenomenological approach. The field of research was formed by all therapists in the field of family therapy in Tehran province with at least 5 years of work experience in 2022-2023.15 participants were selected by invitation through a purposive sampling. Sampling continued until data saturation A semi-structured interview was used to collect data. Data analysis was done based on the theme-analysis method of Brown and Clark (2019). The analysis of the results led to the production of 1 main theme, 3 sub-themes, and 7 initial concepts. The main theme was "weakness in managing system dynamics". The first sub-theme was "weakness in implementing the systemic view of the family therapist" with basic concepts (weakness of training, weakness of supervision, and neglect of one's treatment). The second sub-theme "insufficient family-therapist skill in maintaining balanced interactions in family meetings" included basic concepts (skill not to ignore all members in the meeting and gender mismatch with the therapist). The third sub-theme was "Insufficient skill of the family therapist in managing the tension of family meetings" along with the primary concepts (weak emotional control skills and less willingness to hold family meetings). The results show that the insufficient skill of the family therapist in managing complex and hidden dynamics in interaction with the family system is a challenge in therapeutic communication. Based on this, the need for educational and practical foundations in the field of communication in family therapy interventions is highlighted.