Experiential family therapy is one that believes the root cause of the problems in the families is a result of emotional suppression. This theory is focused on freedom experiencing emotions in the here-and-now. Experiential family therapists believe clients should seek self-fulfillment and focus on individual’s roles in the family rather than on the family as a whole. In order to promote growth, the individual and family must both grow. Once families are emotionally healthy, healthy attachments can then be made. I am drawn to this approach because of its focus on the individual. I believe that if individuals are healthy, family roles will become clearer and the system as a whole will become healthier. It is similar to when a spoiled piece …show more content…
There is no special technique for this therapy, except for the personality of the therapist and the assessment is done by the therapist getting to know the family (Nichols, 2014, p. 134). From this, the therapist would then be able to determine what the next steps to assisting the family would be. Carl Whitaker is another prominent figure in experiential family therapy, and he believed in having a co-therapist minimize countertransference (Nichols, 2014, p. 137). For both Whitaker and Satir, there are a number of expressive techniques to do with a family; including, family sculpting, family puppet interviews, family art therapy, conjoint family drawings, and Gestalt therapy techniques, all with toys, doll houses, stuffed animals, clay, batacca bats, and art supplies (Nichols, 2014, p. 137). I feel the best option for my family is to have each member engage with family puppet interviews. With this technique, one family member is asked to make up a story using puppets and this well help to highlight any conflicts and alliances within the family (Nichols, 2014, p. 139). I envision each of my family members explaining many different shows with the same characters. How each member in my family views our structure are completely different, and I believe that part of the conflict is a result of not being able to communicate to each other what we are seeing and how we are feeling. Each member could benefit from family puppet
The basic concepts of this type of therapy are boundaries, subsystems, complementary and alignments which are easily applied and grasped. The most important aspect the therapist must keep in perspective is that every family is made up of structure and that these structures are seen only when the members of the family interact. If the therapist does not consider the entire structure of the family and intervene in only one of the many subsystems are most likely not to attain a lasting change.
It consists of establishing good rapport, ensuring a trusting therapeutic relationship, using appropriate and available community resources, and developing a treatment plan based on mutual goals with the individual and the family.
My first assumption of family therapy was to involve the parents and the individual that had the problem. This book explored further what it
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
Throughout the history of mankind, one thing has separated us humans from animals, which is parenting. In today’s world, you will not find any other animal that will take care of it’s offspring for 18 plus years, well except for bonobo monkeys. Now it is normal for parents to keep their kids from childbirth till the end of their education. However this brings up the question on where to draw the line, and what is the right way to raise a kid. There is one type of parenting that goes beyond the call of duty and it is called helicopter parenting. A brief description of helicopter parenting is basically a parent who is over protective and pays extreme close attention to their child’s life. Although helicopter parenting has some positive
Family systems therapy is based on the concept that individuals are best understood through evaluating the entire family. Symptoms in individuals are seen as a result in dysfunctions in their family system. The family is an interactional unit and a change in one member affects all members. Family therapists believe that an individual’s relations with family have more impact in their lives than anyone could. The family therapist uses the systemic perspective, it believes that individuals may carry a symptom from the entire family, and an individual’s functioning is an outward sign of the way a family functions.
Parents that take an over productive or excessive interest in the life of their children is a helicopter parent. These parents want to be part of every part of their children’s life. Helicopter parents are a really interesting topic. I topic that I have never really considered. Helicopter parents want the best for their children, but are they really helping them? Research shows that helicopter parents can be detrimental to a child’s growth, independence, self-confidence, and overall well-being.
The role of the counselor in Experiential Family Therapy is to facilitate an experience and break down any inhibitions that have been built. As for Whitaker, therapy is an art, and he recommends substituting for theory faith in one’s own experience and the ability to allow the process of therapy to unfold in an authentic and genuinely responsive manner (Becvar & Becvar, 2013, p. 160).
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
I did some research on it that night after our meeting and found some very interesting facts and statistics. Family counseling can only be effective when all family members make the effort to be present. Once the clients are processing in family systems terms, it is expected that they can be more objective and avoid some of the emotional reactions that might obstruct positive treatment. Beginning with a focus on the symptomatic issue, the hope is that the system will start to reveal itself. It is then the task of the therapist to begin introducing a broader conceptualization of how the family members can and should experience these as they arise. This approach can alleviate primary problems in family functioning, scapegoating, guilt and blame, lack of empathy for differences, and nonfunctional rules, while forming new and better agreements for positive growth and functioning.
I know from previously working in a family behavioral therapy (FBT) research lab how some of the FBT techniques work. I enjoyed working in this lab and was able to learn about innovative research in this field of study as an undergraduate here at UNLV. As I read the text, I could see further how active, directive, and oriented toward the solution of problems these types of therapies are. I personally do not want to be a family therapist, but I really appreciate those who do. I think that if I was I would be mindful and respectful of my client’s unique issues. Along with being able to implement different techniques that work for each unique family. It would be very important to me to keep each client’s perspective in mind and ensure that the family is happy with the overall counseling experience. I think a fun technique to start with would be working on the genogram with all members. This would ensure that I have a map and a better understanding of all those who are important in the room and outside of the room when clients discuss these individuals within therapy. It would definitely be a useful tool to have for each session in my opinion. I believe the hardest part would be understanding everyone’s views and then helping to facilitate the
Within the past several years, I have seen many new ideas and theories as to how children should be reared. One change that I have witnessed firsthand is the difference in the role a parent plays in their child's life. In the article called "Helicopter Parents" Stir up Anxiety, Depression, the ideas expressed were not the same my parents had when raising me. Some of the ideas expressed in said article I resonated with as a child whose parents leaned towards being helicopters while others I did not agree with as wholeheartedly.
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 experiential therapeutic model has become widely regarded as an acceptable approach to family therapy. This methodology contrasts with more traditional, Freudian-derived methods of talk-therapy. Although the exact definition of experiential therapy differs slightly from one professional to another (this paper delineates some of the differences between the varying definitions) the consensus stipulates that experiential therapy is more active than talk therapy and involves placing the patient in hypothetical situations. This paper begins with a survey and discussion of several interpretations of experiential therapy and its applications, and ends with an integrated approach applying Christian faith to experiential therapy.