Experiential Family Therapy

When we are speaking about Carl Whitaker (1988) and his Symbolic-Experiential Family Therapy, we can say he was against labeling of the individual´s existence problems by a simple behavior, cognition, or following a specific psychology model. Luepnitz (2002) express he went further when he emphasized that psychopathology was only a distraction from the real-existential problems faced by most of the families. Whitaker was called as an innovator when he introduced his controversial therapy, but was also extensively criticized. His therapy focus in “present-centeredness” and open clients dealing with their family problems, how they perpetuate their past problems, and how perceived and communicated when playing the role of coach.

Family is something that plays a tremendous role in our life. Even though the structure of families has changed over the years, it is important to acknowledge that there many families out there whether they are traditional families, nuclear family, stepfamilies or others which tend to have different types of problems in their families. Therefore, many families attempt to go to family therapy in order for them to obtain help in solving the different types of issues they might have at home. As stated in the book Family Therapy by Michael P. Nichols (2013), “The power of family therapy derives from bringing parents and children together to transform their interaction… What keeps people stuck in their inability to see their own participation in the problems that plague them. With eyes fixed firmly on what recalcitrant others are doing, it’s hard for most people to see the patterns that bind them together. The family therapist’s job is to give them a wake-up call” (2013).

Experiential family theory is about the experiences that a family goes through in therapy and what it symbolizes to them. Experiential family theory is also well known as symbolic experiential family theory because the theory is about what the family takes out of the experience and what they use to describe their family. According to Smith (1998), the founder, Carl Whitaker, felt that it was the therapist’s responsibility to create these experiences in the sessions to help the family grow. Carl Whitaker accomplished this with impulse and creativity. He understood the family unit and knew that families could be cruel, but he believed the family had the ability to restore their family unit (Percy, 1990). The theory is not a traditional one,

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy employed to assist members of a family in improving communication systems, conflict resolution, and to help the family to deal with certain problems that manifest in the behavior of members. In most cases, deviance in a family member is an indication of underlying family dysfunctions. This paper looks the counselling procedure that can be applied to help the Kline family solve their problems. It answers certain questions including those of the expected challenges during therapy and ways of dealing with the challenges.

Family therapy is a technique that has many alternative approaches to every aspect of treatment which Nichols (2014), states may present a challenge when describing a basic technique. The two models of family therapy in which I feel that I would be most effective and comfortable with would be, experiential family therapy and solution-focused brief therapy. I feel most comfortable with these models because, I adapt to the role of the therapist of both therapies naturally. According to Nichols (2014), when families seek therapy they are stuck in a life-cycle transition, sometimes they are obvious and sometimes they are not obvious. I’ve found that during the first session an excellent question is to ask the client why now so that they can

Alexis has been evaluation previously in many different clinics. Her parents also express how upset they were as they felt that she was not provided enough care in the past. They account for times in which evaluations have taken only thirty minutes to complete. Alexis has been diagnosed with Anxiety, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder, and Hypochondria. Alexis has been taking therapy since she was 12. Alexis mentions that her parents would get defensive therefore in sessions, when the therapist seemed like they were siding with her, her parents would get mad and switch therapist. They have also tried family therapy which did not work as well and Alexis reveals that her father

Family therapy so that his mother and father can learn new stratus and techniques to help Khimahni. The therapist can focus on the needs of the family and the needs of Khimahni as well. The goal of therapy is to bring the family together to restore the homeostasis. The therapist will figure out which approach is best the for the family. The family system learns how to reconnect with one other in spite of the disorder.

Approaches to Family Therapy: Minuchin, Haley, Bowen, & Whitaker Treating families in therapy can be a complex undertaking for a therapist, as they are dealing not only with a group of individuals but also with an overall system. Throughout history several key theorists have attempted to demystify the challenges families face and construct approaches to treatment. However, there have been key similarities and differences among the theoretical orientations along the way. While some have simply broadened or expanded from existing theories, others have stood in stark

Family therapists should have training in highly efficient methods that they can use to meet the needs of families. These methods should help bring an awareness of how the family processes operate and the therapist should make these apparent to the family. Therapists should also be concerned with helping families re-examine their belief systems and not try to change family structure. A new epistemology, challenging the early cybernetic notions, gained attention (Goldenberg, 2017). For example, the familial unit could influence the individual in many ways and influence the formation of their personality and behaviors. Family therapists should be concerned with epistemology within a family structure. Epistemology explains how one knows what he/she

Postmodernists view of Solution focused Brief therapy (SFBT) is a counseling approach focusing on solutions instead of problems. There are no fixed truths or realities, and whatever the client presents is the reality. Therefore the client, not the therapist, is the expert. SFBT is a goal directed approach to brief therapy that uses ideals such as scaling questions, exceptions identity and solutions. Exceptions suggest solutions. For instance if a client said “we argue all the time”, a therapist can rebuttal by stating “think of a time

The benefits of using experiential interventions with families is that they are able to identify any obstacles and improved their self esteem. According to CRC Health "As patients progress through structured experiential therapy activities under the guidance and supervision of an experiential therapist, they have the opportunity to experience successes, identify obstacles, develop improved self-esteem, and take greater responsibility for their actions." Therefore experiential intervention can be a great support for the family that needs guidance and support. The benefit of using experimental intervention is that the client will have personal empowerment throughout the therapy because it focus on the task and activity of the experience of the

The Gestalt experiential family therapy focuses on the immediate conversation and current challenge (Becvar & Becvar, 2012). The emphasis is on how individuals within the family speak to each other. . Conflicts are utilized for the purpose of confrontation for the purpose of understanding of the family situation (White, 2008). These conflicts can support the family therapy processes, three such examples are negotiation, consensus, and resources.

Experiential Therapy was developed in 1970 that adopted a therapeutic approach which encouraged the families to identify and address hidden or subconscious issues and problems through expression by engaging in activities such as role-play, guided imagery, use of props and other active experiences. Clients through the structured experiential therapy activities under the guidance of the therapist have an opportunity to experience success, identify obstacles, develop improved self-esteem and take greater responsibility for their actions. The founder of the therapy Carl Whitaker, who was among the first to do Psychotherapy with families and encouraged them to be themselves and follow their intuition. The other stalwart for this therapy was Virginia

Experiential therapy is a theoretical orientation that has been researched and utilized extensively. The origin of this theory can be traced back to the humanistic-existential theory of human beings. Ludwig Binswanger is credited with bringing the concepts of existential and phenomenological thought into the field of psychology. Binswanger was a psychiatrist who had strong misgivings regarding Freud’s theories of human beings. As a result of his dissatisfaction with the limitations of Freudian theory, Binswanger began to search outside of the existing arena of psychological theories for alternative models to explain the thoughts and behavior of individuals (Mahrer, 1983).

How I understand this whole thing of family therapy is that therapist uses theories and the systemic to assist with different approaches by acknowledging the problems that can be fixed. When I become a counselor or a therapist I would want to work with youth that is going through life issues, and the only way for me to assist these youth with those issues is knowing and understanding how to use the theories into perspective, if I'm not able to do so, I wouldn't be able to understand the youth problem. Such as behavioral approach, I feel as though, this approach play a big part in youth society today. Every human person has a positive and negative behavioral where we learn a self-control. Albert Ellis (1962) evolved an approach ( rational-emotive