Chapter 14 Family Systems Therapy 0 The Family

Chapter 14 Family Systems Therapy 0

The Family Systems Perspective n Individuals – are best understood through assessing the interactions within an entire family n Symptoms – are viewed as an expression of a dysfunction within a family n Problematic behaviors – u Serve a purpose for the family u Are a function of the family’s inability to operate productively u Are symptomatic patterns handed down across generations n A family – is an interactional unit and a change in one member effects all members 1 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (1)

Adlerian Family Therapy n Adlerians use an educational model to counsel families n Emphasis is on family atmosphere and family constellation n Therapists function as collaborators who seek to join the family n Parent interviews yield hunches about the purposes underlying children’s misbehavior 2 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (2)

Adlerian Family Therapy Goals n Unlock mistaken goals and interactional patterns n Engage parents in a learning experience and a collaborative assessment n Emphasis is on the family’s motivational patterns n Main aim is to initiate a reorientation of the family 3 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (3)

Multigenerational Family Therapy n The application of rational thinking to emotionally saturated systems u A well-articulated theory is considered to be essential n With the proper knowledge the individual can change u Change occurs only with other family members n Differentiation of the self u A psychological separation from others n Triangulation u A third party is recruited to reduce anxiety and stabilize a couples’ relationship 4 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (4)

Multigenerational Family Therapy Goals n To change the individuals within the context of the system n To end generation-to-generation transmission of problems by resolving emotional attachments n To lessen anxiety and relieve symptoms n To increase the individual member’s level of differentiation 5 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (5)

Human Validation Process Model n Enhancement and validation of self-esteem n Family rules n Congruence and openness in communications n Sculpting n Nurturing triads n Family mapping and chronologies 6 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (6)

Human Validation Process Model Therapy Goals n Open communications u Individuals are allowed to honestly report their perceptions n Enhancement of self-esteem u Family decisions are based on individual needs n Encouragement of growth u Differences are acknowledged and seen as opportunities for growth n Transform extreme rules into useful and functional rules u Families have many spoken and unspoken rules 7 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (7)

Experiential Family Therapy n A freewheeling, intuitive, sometimes outrageous approach aiming to: u Unmask pretense, create new meaning, and liberate family members to be themselves n Techniques are secondary to therapeutic relationship n Pragmatic and atheoretical n Interventions create turmoil and intensify what is going on here and now in the family 8 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (8)

Experiential Family Therapy Goals n Facilitate individual autonomy and a sense of belonging in the family n Help individuals achieve more intimacy by increasing their awareness and their experiencing n Encourage members to be themselves by freely expressing what they are thinking and feeling n Support spontaneity, creativity, the ability to play, and the willingness to be “crazy” 9 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (9)

Structural Family Therapy n Focus is on family interactions to understand the structure, or organization of the family n Symptoms are a by-product of structural failings n Structural changes must occur in a family before an individual’s symptoms can be reduced n Techniques are active, directive, and well thought-out 10 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (10)

Structural Family Therapy Goals n Reduce symptoms of dysfunction n Bring about structural change by: u Modifying the family’s transactional rules u Developing more appropriate boundaries u Creation of an effective hierarchical structure • It is assumed that faulty family structures have: – Boundaries that are rigid or diffuse – Subsystems that have inappropriate tasks and functions 11 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (11)

Strategic Family Therapy n Focuses on solving problems in the present n Presenting problems are accepted as “real” and not a symptom of system dysfunction n Therapy is brief, process-focused, and solution-oriented n The therapist designs strategies for change n Change results when the family follows therapist’s directions & change transactions 12 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (12)

Strategic Family Therapy Goals n Resolve presenting problems by focusing on behavioral sequences n Get people to behave differently n Shift the family organization so that the presenting problem is no longer functional n Move the family toward the appropriate stage of family development u Problems often arise during the transition from one developmental stage to the next 13 Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (13 )