Family involvement in treatment — done well — can improve outcomes for both the person in treatment and their family members.
Why family involvement matters: Substance use disorder affects family systems, not just individuals — patterns of communication, enabling behaviors (often well-intentioned), and relationship strain all interact with someone’s recovery in ways individual therapy alone doesn’t address.
CRAFT as the leading evidence-based family approach: Community Reinforcement and Family Training is specifically designed for family members, even when the person with substance use disorder isn’t yet in treatment — [link to family script library and CRAFT resources] for our existing resources on this.
What family therapy sessions might address: Communication patterns, boundary-setting, understanding enabling versus supporting, and processing the family’s own experience of the situation — not just “fixing” the person in treatment.
An important distinction: Family therapy is different from family members simply being informed or included occasionally — it’s a structured therapeutic process, ideally with a therapist trained in both family systems and addiction.
Medically reviewed by [pending]. Sources: CRAFT research literature (Meyers & Smith), SAMHSA TIP 63.