I. Introduction The paper will be used to further explore intervention approaches and treatment options for the client I did my case presentation on and also a process recording, Amanda. The information presented about Amanda is information gathered during the intake assessment, family discussions, and individual family sessions. The two theories that have been researched and will be used throughout this paper are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Structural Family Therapy (SFT) because both theories are able to address the issues Amanda is presenting. These theories will be critiqued based upon research in journal articles and readings from class. Then the theories will be applied to Amanda's case based upon the …show more content…
That is, the nuclear family's relationship-or lack of relationship-to the extended family or the community may play a huge part in functioning. Ackerman (1958) viewed family work as a special method of treatment of emotional disorders based on dynamically oriented interviews with the whole family. This looks at the who, what, where, when, why, and how of family. The goal is to bring to the surface all the "contributors" (person or thing) of the issue and map out ways to manage it. In family therapy, the clinician is able to see the role each member plays within the family structure. The clinician can assist the family to develop a family tree to explore different trends or discover unknown facts. For example, in developing this tree of people the family can include cause of death, possible miscarriages, mental health diagnosis of members, illnesses, or any other trend of interest. This can also promote family connectedness by contacting other members or friends of the family to gather information. Structural Family Therapy can also promote a safe environment for individuals to express concerns or feelings to family members. It can improve communication, develop effective problem-solving methods, explore values, and experiment with new behaviors (Thayer 1982). The role of the clinician is to keep the sessions family focused. The clinician must recognize who the "identified patient" is or the client the family system has
The family system is founded on the notions that for change to occur in the life of an individual, the therapist must understand and work with the family as a whole. In working with the family, the therapist can understand how the individual in counseling functions within his family system and how the client’s behaviors connect to other people in the family. This theory also holds the perception that symptoms are a set of family habits and patterns passed down by generation and not a result of a psychological problem or an inability to change (Corey, 2017). Furthermore, the family system theory holds the idea that when a change occurs everyone in the unit is affected by the change.
Structural family therapy is associated with the work of Salvador Minuchin and is an evidence based therapy influenced by brief strategic and eco-systemic structural family therapy (Gerhart, 2014). Structural family therapists are active in the counseling sessions and will want to have all of the members of the family participate in the counseling sessions. The therapist is then able to map family structures in order to resolve relation problems between family members. The therapist will then make assessments and set goals to restructure the family interactions while focusing on family strengths.
Structural family therapy focuses on encouraging proactive healthy change within the family, with an emphasis on structure, subsystems, and boundaries. Family Structure is invisible set of rules that organize the ways family members relate to each other. Structure resists change. The therapist will essentially be a change agent to facilitate this reorganization (Minuchin,
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
Family therapy is needed in so many aspects whether its trauma, substance, abuse or marital counseling. It doesn’t matter if it’s for adolescents in the family or adults. It’s important that a clinician is knowledgeable about family therapy and the best approaches to assist the family in becoming functional.
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.
Within this theory it is important to realize as it analyzes a family’s problems, it will give direction as to how the family should navigate and solve the issues they experience daily. Normally, to begin the process of Structural Family therapy is to have an interview with the whole family, in order to have a view of what dynamics play into the center of the family. By using sub-group composition. This way one has the ability to keep very distinct personalities in
Structural family therapy is a popular systematic approach that family therapist use to help solve issues within a family and enhance the relationship of family members through bringing order to the family structure. Nichols (2013) presents that one defining insight to family therapy was the discovery that families are organized in subsystems with emotional boundaries that regulate the contact family members have with each other. This also introduced enactments, where family members are encouraged to directly communicate with each other in sessions, allowing the therapist to observe and modify their interactions when necessary (p. 122). Basing the assumption that the problems lie within the family structure. Salvador Minuchin is the primary
Family therapy involves working with each member of the family to help them solve a group or individual problem that may cause hindrances that prevents the family being a cohesive unit. Family therapy is most often used to help treat an individual's problem that is affecting the entire family, such as an addiction, depression, or behavioral problems. This type of counseling can also be useful for addressing family-wide problems such as conflicts between siblings, spouses, or parents and children.
Family therapy has many advantages, but should not be a blanket strategy in helping clients. In researching the purpose of family therapy, and it’s history in helping people, it has a significant place in bringing healing to both individuals and families. Nevertheless, it comes with its own set of risks and issues. In this discussion, the purpose is to work through some of the general advantages and disadvantages of using family therapy, while also looking at the experience needed and role of a counselor in family therapy. Finally, we will discuss the potential challenges I will face in doing family therapy.
The family is the fundamental unit of society. In it, the human being is born, grows and develops. Ideally, in this natural environment, its members remain stable relationships sharing and meeting their basic needs. These relationships should be intimate, loving, respectful, when living conditions allow its members to develop as autonomous and social at the same time people. Family therapy studies the development of the family and the operation of this. To meet the basic material and psychological needs, ensures the development of stable, integrated, mature emotionally and makes possible a constructive interpersonal functioning by providing an appropriate, durable, consistent, and intimate and underwriter average adult human personalities.
Family system theory is helpful in identifying and treating harmful and maladaptive functions in the family. The goal in therapy is to help families in their discovery of balance, with less blaming, more understanding, and increased responsibility. Counselors are able to learn the internal drives and attitudes of families and assists in clarifying positive roles and boundaries. Through genograms, sculpting and enactments, the therapist is able to direct the family to a more harmonious state. As an observer the therapist is able to uncover the strategies used by families to deal with interpersonal issues, and difficulties, as well as identify the far-reaching effects of those behaviors (Boss et al., 1993). When families are
must help the family find their own solutions, and by helping them have more adaptive
The main idea of family counseling is that it focuses on the family and the interactions and connections of the members in the family (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). The family is viewed as a system in which each member influences other members of the family (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). Further, family counseling systems looks at family patterns as circular instead of linear (Henderson & Thompson, 2011). Another important aspect of family counseling is the different family life cycles and possible tasks that may be occurring during those stages (Henderson & Thompson, 2011).