Network Therapy

Network therapy is a counseling approach that utilizes clients’ resources in their immediate environment, specifically their social network. Besides family, the network includes friends, relatives, neighbors, coworkers, and other significant people. The premise is that if the individual is best understood in the context of his or her family, then the family can be understood only with consideration of the social network or “tribe” to which the family belongs. A client’s social relationships have a significant effect on the life of the client, including emotional support, as well as providing tangible resources (e.g., food, employment, financial support). The model brings elements of family therapy, group therapy, and community organization into a single, brief, high-impact approach. This entry discusses the background of network therapy, how the ...