Supporting a Loved One in Psychotherapy: The Role of Family and Close Circle

When someone close is undergoing psychotherapy, family members often feel lost: how to help, what to say, what to avoid? Dr. Saulitis is clear: support only works when it is professionally guided and conscious.

Family Is Part of the Team, Not Just the Audience

Effective help is a team effort — psychiatrist, psychotherapist, coach, and the people present in a person's daily life. Relatives and friends who are willing to invest their time and attention become a genuine resource for recovery. But this role requires understanding: what to do, and equally important, what not to do.

What Not to Do

Some typical reactions from those around can hinder rather than help:

• "Pull yourself together" — pressure and appeals to willpower do not work and can make things worse.
• Unsolicited advice — a flood of suggestions about where to go and what to try creates confusion and drains energy.
• Excessive pity — compassion has its place, but when it turns into constant commiserating, the person loses time and strength instead of moving forward.

Loved Ones Need Support Too

One of Dr. Saulitis's key observations: the support team is sometimes in worse shape than the patient themselves. This is not a weakness — it is a pattern. Prolonged stress, worry, and a sense of helplessness are exhausting. That is why professional work with family members is not a luxury but a part of the treatment process.

How Support Works in Practice

The most valuable thing loved ones can do is show up consistently and steadily — not replacing the specialists, but not stepping away either. Consistency is one of the core factors Dr. Saulitis emphasises. Regular, calm presence, willingness to help with practical matters, and trust in the professional team all create the conditions in which therapy can do its work.