In comparing Strategic and Structural therapies, which concept does Strategic therapy emphasize?

Strategic therapy emphasizes the concept of change, focusing on altering the behavior and interactions within a family system to resolve issues. This approach operates on the premise that specific changes in a family's patterns of behavior can lead to changes in relationships and, ultimately, improvements in the family's overall functioning. Practitioners use interventions designed to disrupt negative patterns and prompt new ways of interacting. This might involve creating tasks or prescribing symptoms to encourage families to alter their approach to problems.

While other modalities, such as Structural therapy, focus more on organization and hierarchy within the family (the way family members are arranged and interact), Strategic therapy is distinctly oriented towards immediate behavioral change as a means to address dysfunction. It is less concerned with the underlying family structure and more with how to effectively facilitate change in behaviors and communication to solve problems.