Family is a multifaceted entity that shapes an individual’s identity throughout their life. The interpersonal experiences gained through interactions often leads to the assumption of roles and development of communication styles influencing the families’ conflict handling and resolution styles. In family counselling, a genogram is drawn out to understand family’s developmental stage, intergenerational patterns and to develop therapeutic interventions. This essay will present my family genogram with an aim to reflect on the adjustment issue faced to transition into the role of a new mother, whilst wrangling with the potentiality of losing my father to a life –threatening heart attack. It will endeavour to present an analytical overview of the …show more content…
The first observation made was the expansiveness of my extended family. Although my immediate family, made up of my parents and brother before marriage, husband and kids after marriage would by definition be classified as a nuclear family (Raina, 1988), examining my parent’s generation illustrates a larger family structure where my father was the sixth child of the family of ten children and my mother twelfth child of the family of thirteen children. An interesting fact which was uncovered during this process, was the revelation that my maternal grandmother may have had many more miscarriages than denoted on the genogram. To complete the maternal side of my genogram help was sought from my aunty, an oldest surviving member of the family. The revelation that my mother was unaware of her own family rank could be indication of either disconnected communication between my maternal grandmother and children of the lower rank or attributed to the cultural taboo where topics like abortion or miscarriage were not openly discussed and often hidden even to family …show more content…
In addition to basic counselling skills, family sculpting or narrative therapy may prove to be effective therapeutic interventions. Family sculpting is a form of psychodrama that allows family to enact their self -reflective position to gain some distance from their entrenched role (Sori & Hecker; 2003). This intervention proves to be particularly helpful in communicating the emotional need for gratification, acknowledgement and appreciation which would in turn be effective in breaking the vicious cycle of attacking and withdrawing. The second intervention which may be effective is narrative therapy. Narrative therapy operates on the tenets of externalising an issue and re-authoring the story, based on the client’s strength (Flaskas, McCarthy & Sheehan, 2007). This intervention involves achieving change by understanding the meaning assigned to the individual’s experience, helping the client liberate themselves from destructive or limiting stories to create an alternative stories.
The above essay outlined the journey of handling transitions in my life as a new mother and simultaneously dealing with the stressor of losing my father. Through the help of genogram it aimed to conceptualise the stage of family development as the “child bearing” phase and discussed the transference of intergenerational
Genograms are used to graphically represent a family tree and display detailed data on relationships among the individuals included in the family tree. In essence, families are complex systems that interact with kin groups in specific ways, and a genogram helps to show a diagram of a family tree, but also maps out interactions, relationships, traits, and characteristics that may otherwise not be noticed. The purpose of a genogram is to identify and understand patterns in family history which may influence an individual’s personal behavior and traits. Family Systems Theory, presented by Dr. Murray Bowen, suggests that an individual cannot be understood in isolation from their family members. According to Dr. Bowen, the family is an emotional
In my essay about critical communication reflections with a family member, I will be writing about the event that took place when I had this communication with second cousin at the funeral of his mother three years ago. I present a balanced paper that will discuss the effectiveness and breakdown of the communication that took place. I will specifically write about the cultural boundaries and societies norms that influenced and the lead to the breakdown of our communication, primary our extended family structure and lines of communication will be my main focus. The scope of this essay will highlight the different ways and approaches of adult communication in an extended family set up in times
Initially, I would proceed with the Bowenian family therapy assessment tool, genograms. I anticipate there might be slight hesitation from Ken, the father who was described to initially present to therapy as, “extreme hostility t being forced into therapy.” It might be a useful tactic to remind the family as a whole that, due to them family unit feeling, “out of sorts” to work together in session and create a family genogram, we might be able to detect some generational patterns. It would be my hope, as a therapist, to work collaboratively with the entire family asking for feedback from everyone. Working collaboratively with the entire family, it is my attempt and hope to engage both Anne and Timothy, who were described as being “extremely quiet and not involved in the conversation”.
After assessing my nuclear and extended family using a genogram, it was apparent that a history of mental illness was a pattern within my paternal extended family. My family never went to therapy, but I truly think that it would have been beneficial throughout my childhood and teenage years. Solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and intergenerational therapy and three therapies that can aide families in healing processes from lack of unity, communication, and negative patterns.
One of the greatest things about narrative therapy is it teaches clients to realize that they are not the problem but that the problem is the problem (Biever et al.; Johnson, 1994; Tomm, 1989; M. White & Epston, 1990). This creates the safe space without the identified person, but rather the identified problem.
Narrative therapy is a social constructive philosophical approach to psychotherapy that has been developed to help clients deconstruct their negative and self-defeating life stories while rebuilding healthy and positive life stories through the use of various techniques. This paper will discuss the leading figures, some concepts and techniques, ethics, some similarities and dissimilarities of other theories compared to Narrative therapy. This paper will also address my personal integration of faith regarding the theory of Narrative therapy.
This paper will use the book The Family Crucible to demonstrate the authors’ family systems approach to therapy. Narrative theory is compared and contrasted with family systems theory, and is ultimately integrated into my own theoretical foundation for practice as a social worker.
Often times, people live through painful events in their life that can alter their perception of themselves, their family, and the world. Narrative therapy offers the client the opportunity to re-write their story and gain a different perspective of specific events. It is important to understand that within the history of narrative therapy, therapists view client’s stories through a political lens. Often times, focusing on the oppression and cultural dominance that exists within the constructs of our society. Thus, empowering clients to change their story allows them to break free from the constraints that have shaped their outlook and allow for alternative ways of thinking.
How you ever feel that we, as sons or daughter tend to repeat our parent mistakes? I have always asked myself why and I still have not have the right answer. For example my mother grew up in a very strict environment when she was a child, with my grandmother and my great grandmother coming from a Japanese Culture; my mother grew up to be a very quiet and reserve young adult. She is really kind, strict, helpful and with a very big heart. Although we had our differences when I was growing up, we get along pretty well. One of the things that stand out from her, it is her stubborn personality. Although she is a really good listener, I always feel that it has to be her way. I believe she is more like her way or the
Society is composed of many elements based on values, traditions, cultures, government’s policies etc.; and family is one of the main basic ingredients, forming the society. Therefore, as the society changes its element, family is also forced to change the flow of life. Yet, during the past 50 years, our society has undergone big social transformations which are seen as “dramatic and unparallel changes” or a “veritable revolution”. Thus, the two basic forms of family, the extended family and the
Narrative therapy is one of the post-modern therapies used today. Narrative therapy helps individuals identify their values, skills, and knowledge they have to effectively face problems in their lives. The key ideas of narrative therapy are: people’s stories give meaning to their lives, stories are shaped by emotional themes, a person’s story shapes his/her personality, people seek counseling when their stories do not match their lived experiences, and people who have less social power benefit greatly from Narrative Counseling. The concern is with meaning making and there is an emphasis on mindfulness and positive psychology. The process of Narrative therapy starts in the initial stage exploring the client’s issues. It then transitions into the insight stage to a deeper understanding of the issues. The insight stage is followed by the action stage, where the client and therapist work to change the story and therefore change the outcome. Lastly, there is the termination phase.
The objective of doing the genogram is to get to know the patient by gaining understanding of his/her family background. Assessing the family using systemic approach enables health care providers to learn about the ways in which family members interact, what are the family expectations and norms, how effective is the members communication, who makes decisions and how the family deals with life time stressors (Hockenberry & Wilson, 2007). This paper outlines the assessment and analysis of the three generation of Wits’ and Smiths’ families, its relationship, health pattern, habits, tradition and structure. It also provides a nursing teaching plan. The interview was conduced with Alina Wit, a second generation mother of three.
A genogram is a type of family tree, but with more detailed information. It is often used as a diagnostic and assessment tool by physicians or counselors to obtain individual and family history in order to help in the establishment of a diagnosis and treatment plan.
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).
The family that is being observed for this assignment is headed by a married couple who has been together for a little over 40th years. Cliff Barnes a 61 year old male is married to Amy Barnes 66 years old. Their immediate household composition includes Amy Barnes’s 44 year son from a previous relationship, her 22 year old grandson and the couple’s 15 year old adopted daughter. I have included the immediate family members in the attached genogram because they play a major role in the family dynamics.