Family Subsystem Genogram

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Family Subsystem Genogram Helen Buckman is one of four children of Frank and Martha Buckman. Helen is a bank manager. She has two children Julie and Garry. Julie is seventeen and Garry is fourteen. She is divorced from her husband Ed, who is a dentist. Ed has remarried and started another family with his current wife. Ed has little contact with Helen or their children (Gazer & Howard, 1989). Julie Buckman is the typical teenage girl. She is intelligent and scored a 1300 on her SAT. She also has a boyfriend named Todd. Her mother disapproves of this relationship, because it interferes with her plans for her daughter. This is a great source of conflict between Julie and her mother. After an argument with her mother, she moves in with Todd. Later they return married and move into Helen's house. Julie soon learns she is pregnant. Julie does not express much emotion about her father (Gazer & Howard, 1989). Garry is emotional by his father's physical and emotional departure from his life. He has no contact with his father, which he longs for. He wanted to live with his father, but his father refused. Garry has a lot of anger about the situation and towards his father. This is demonstrated by his destruction of his father's office. Garry has withdrawn from his mother. This despite Helen's efforts to reach out to her son, they remain disconnected (Gazer & Howard, 1989). Todd is Julie's husband. Todd's relationship with his family is marked by abuse from his father. Todd does not seem to be goal oriented. This is the main objection of Helen, but his bonding with Garry has lightened her disapproval of him (Gazer & Howard, 1989). Helen grew up in a family with dysfunctional aspec... ... middle of paper ... ... the future, instead of the past. It is characterized by looking for solutions, instead of problems. The family is involved in the development of goals. They will explore when things are good and what is in place to make these things good. The therapist and family will take from the positive and incorporate it into areas that are more difficult. Family will voice what is working and what is not. They will attempt a new approach if one is not working. Helen might like this approach, because she realizes what things that needs to change. Helen tries to be supportive of the positive aspects of her family. This theory would support this mindset. Both theories address solutions for the problems of Helen's family. Each theory identifies areas that are not working for the family. It would depend on what areas the family wants to address.

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