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Family Therapy Theory Integration Paper

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FAMILY THERAPY THEORY INTEGRATION PAPER 2
According to a study by the Migration Policy Institute, approximately 41.3 million immigrants were living in the United States in 2013, an all-time high for a nation historically built on immigration. Immigrants accounted for 13 percent of the total 316 million U.S. residents and adding the U.S.-born children of immigrants means that approximately 80 million people, or one-quarter of the overall U.S. population, is either of the first or second generation (Zong, Batalova). This population’s counseling needs vary from those of the general population due to acculturation issues, gender role differences and discrimination problems. Counselors who specialize in serving various populations within the immigrant community need not only be cross culturally competent but also be able to integrate useful therapeutic strategies to foster the therapeutic relationship and positive outcome with all members, regardless of a client’s acculturation status, within an immigrant family unit. Reality therapy continues to be used with a wide variety of clients from many cultures and is known for its primary goal of helping clients make effective choices (Halbur, Halbur). Reality therapy is organized around the WDEP principle defined as ‘wants, doing, evaluation, and planning.’ A reality therapist works with clients to explore their ‘wants’ and what they are doing to achieve those ‘wants’,

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