Brief Strategic Family Therapy Program

Summit Malibu recognizes that addiction is a family disease and that effective treatment includes identifying and addressing family dynamics that nurture and sustain addiction.

Harmful dynamics can exist within all constellations of a family - couples without children, traditional families, divorced or separated families, and non-traditional or blended families.

The basis for family treatment at Summit Malibu is Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT), a methodology that was developed at the University of Miami’s Family Studies Program.   BSFT is a family intervention specifically designed to assist families coping with addiction.

While BSFT has been empirically proven to be effective with adolescents and their families, the clinicians at Summit Malibu have experienced tremendous success with families of all ages.

BSFT is an intervention that identifies restrictive family interactions and introduces self-sustaining changes to the family system.  BSFT corrects over or under-involvement in each other’s lives; promotes family connectedness and a family’s ability to resolve conflict successfully.  The techniques implemented in BSFT reduce negative interactions replacing them with positive interactions.

This shift in family dynamics supports sustained recovery for the addicted person and a greater sense of contentment for other family members.

Family Therapy is an important part of treatment at Summit Malibu.  Weekly family sessions are recommended for all clients if logistically possible, as well as participation in our Comprehensive Family Weekend.

The Summit Malibu Comprehensive Family Weekend is scheduled approximately once per month. 

The Summit Malibu Comprehensive Family Weekend commences on a Friday afternoon and ends with lunch on Sunday.  It is critical that all family members are motivated to participate in this event since it will help tremendously with our clients’ transition home at the conclusion of their treatment.

If you have additional questions, or if you would like us to provide you with a no-cost, no-commitment, confidential consultation, please contact one of our treatment specialists.

Call us toll free 24 hours 7 days at 888.777.9672 today for a free private consultation.