The Bridge family consist of husband Chris, age 54, wife Marguerite, age 49 and daughters Erica, age 16, and Christina, age 14. Chris and Marguerite have been married for 18 years. Chris became a long haul truck driver five years ago after losing his job of 16 years as a technician for AT&T. The family went through a difficult adjustment period when Chris lost his job at AT&T. Chris experienced a lot of embarrassment when he lost his job. Although, Chris was not happy at the job, losing the job was difficult for the household. The job loss created fiction with the marriage and the friction was witnessed by the children. It became so bad at times that the children thought their parents were going to divorce. Chris decided to change …show more content…
The objective of structural family therapy for this family would be to improve the functionality of the family system and restore the structured family system with development (Collins, Jordan, & Coleman, 2010). Additionally, since the family dynamics are somewhat different since the father is away often and the girls were younger when the family dysfunction initiated, it may be appropriate to work on boundaries in therapy. McAdams, et al.(2016) found that “foundational structural principles of family hierarchy, system and subsystem boundaries, and member alliances all continue to play a central role in current applications of the structural model, and the assessment criteria applied most recently to structural family therapy process and outcome research are likewise grounded in those structural principles” (McAdams, et al., …show more content…
In essence, the therapist is to mimic the family. The therapist will mimic the family’s mood, behavior, posture, tone and other factors that can be mimicked in a session. Mimicking helps to build rapport and helps bring comfort to the family. For this family, mimicking maybe more effective for rapport building with Erica and Christina. Unbalancing in therapy helps to bring some steadiness in the family therapy session. Unbalancing is a practice to be used on needed occasions. When unbalancing, the therapist have to briefly take sides in the
This paper will look at the following family by correlating Bowen’s Family Theory Transgenerational Model, and The Structural Model. The subjects of the case are Jan and John. The study describes the couple as Caucasians of Polish descent, both on their first marriage; they share three adult children who live in the same household. Their youngest child is a single mother with a four-year-old child. This couple is seeking marriage therapy for issues’ affecting their relationship, the roots of their problem extends deeply beyond the relationship and histories. Jan and John’s relationship issues involve direct emotional abuse and hostility. This is the first time this family sought marital and family therapy. Jan exhibits symptoms of abused wife syndrome while John blames Jan’s inattention to his needs for his hostility and control issues. The oldest child is Jennifer, the middle child is John, and the youngest child is Julie and her son’s name is Jaccob.
Structured Family Therapy (SFT) refers the mere undesignated rules that structure how a family interacts with one another (Walsh, 2010). The family unit is composed of systems or parts, and the parts must be unified to compile a whole unit to create homeostasis (Broderick, 1993). SFT therapy is warranted when dysfunction enters the family unit, and creates a deficiency of adaption by the individual which disrupts the family structure (Boyle, 2000). The family structure is composed of major components such as: subsystems, executive authority, boundaries, rules, roles, alliances, triangles, flexibility, and communication (Walsh,
The structural therapy interventions specifically, aim to reorganize and restructure the family by questioning their organization. We have to use certain types of role playing during therapy, reverse the roles between them to find spontaneous interactions and to find spontaneous interactions between them and to try to change their “reality” about a
Structural therapy focuses on the family as a whole. It is concerned about how the issues effect the family relationships and connections. This theory concentrates on how well the understanding is amongst the family members and counselor. The members of the family are prompted to understand how the issues were created, where did the issues come from, when the issues started effecting their family, and what the family needs to overcome their issues. Its focus is to help others understand and improve negative behavior. The structural therapy concentrates on the interaction and boundaries of families with separating the whole family into smaller groups. The subsystems will create a clearer understanding of what issues are hurting their family environment (Gladding, S. T. 2010). The counselor is concerned about the members interaction because this reveals how strong the relationships and connections are in the home. The boundaries are important because they create an understanding that there are limits and order, and the boundaries can be diffused, rigid, or clear (Gladding, S. T. 2010). The counselor is expected to identify techniques so members can understand which boundaries are clear, positive, and healthy (Gladding, S. T. 2010).
After reviewing the family dynamics, I contemplated between Ackerman and Bowen theories. Both therapeutic orientations emphasis importance of multigenerational emotional problems and works with the entire family system to alleviate problems. Either approach will be effective; however, Bowen belief that behavior within the family system is resultant of interaction or friction that brings family together or pulls them apart. This ongoing friction between the Jenkins household can be eliminated or reduced, and they can coexist.
Napier provides a crucial exploration of the therapy of a family struggling with battles for the structure of their family and battles to define and grow their relationships with one another. Napier and Whitaker seamlessly and purposely work with each family member, educating and
Substance use affects not only the individual who is using but the whole family unit. The family can be an important key factor in an individual's life when they choose to seek treatment. The family can help the individual who is addicted or they can negatively contribute to them relapsing. Family therapy is treatment that can reduce substance use and improve the family dynamics in a household. Brief Strategic Family Therapy is a common therapy used to treat substance use in families. This paper will explain why family therapy is important. It will also explain what Brief Strategic Family Therapy is and the process that families go through in it.
Structural Family therapy focus is to reform the family so that there are limits between parents and progenies, while the parents are reassuring of each other and their children. In achieving this the therapist has observed firsthand
Structural family therapist have exemplified within the context relational therapies that uncovers stressors in relationship between individuals (Vetere, 2001). Structural family therapy has been known to be called “interventive approach” because of the “intensity” to encourage clients to change (Hammond & Nichols, 2014).
Duty, G. (2010, December 10). Family Systems Therapy. Lecture presented at Principles of Counseling Class Notes, Bethany.
There are invisible sets of rules or functional demands organizing the way members of a family relate to one another. The goal of structural family therapy is to “bring about change (and)… reorganize the system by getting members to move from one place to another, from one role to another.” Therefore, the goals of structural family therapy are to reduce symptoms of dysfunction and to bring about structural change within the system by modifying the family’s transactional rules, and developing more appropriate boundaries. The role of the structural family therapy counselor involves three interactive functions: joining the family in a position of leadership; mapping its underlying structure; and intervening in ways designed to transform an ineffective structure (Howatt,
Chapter 9, this chapter tells the reader about cognitive behavioral in family therapy where thoughts, feelings, and actions are picture as utilizing their mutual influences with each other (Nichols, 2017). During family therapy session with therapist that use CBT teach parent to use positive reinforcement versus trying to control their children. The theory of CBT can offer extensive techniques to work with family members and can be mixed with others theories as the counselors can adjust their treatment according to the family’s needs (Nichols 2017).
Fred, Wilma, and Rose present an interesting perspective when looking at their family through a Structural Family Systems Theory. When trying to work with the family a social worker will utilize Functional Family Therapy in order to understand their structure and maybe ameliorate some of the family’s problems. Using Rose and her family as the clients it will be able explain what interventions we can use when we learn the constructs of the theory.
This assessment must come to a conclusion of awareness of how the therapy will positively benefit all family members (Rosen & Proctor, 2003, p. 101). One important concept to be aware of while using this intervention is The Family Life Cycle. Families are a system that is different than other systems as they have entry and exit points through birth and by death. The relationships that are in this social system are the main source of connection among its members. The stages of the family life cycle are important to become aware of because in each stage the family faces new challenges that can allow each member to grow within the family unit. Some of these life cycles include: leaving home, newly married couples, families with young children, families with adolescents, and families in later years (Carr, 2012, p. 4-7). There are many concepts in family therapy that are derived from the basis of theories. These concepts provide the framework for family therapy practice. In Psychodynamic theory, a therapist uses the concept of "interlocking pathology" to analyze how each family member connects to each other to produce an overall understanding of the family functioning. In systems theory, the basic concept a therapist would look at is how open or closed the family systems is, the characteristics of the family system, and how this family system
Since the 20th century, researchers have sought out solutions to help assist families and the individual components that make up family systems overcome the challenges and schisms that can inhibit individuation and stability. Two theoretical perspectives, the family-systems theory and the family-development theory, were conceived to gain as Balswick & Balswick (2014) noted, gain “a wide-angle view of family life” (p. 22). Though these two theories have merit, one I found to be more advantageous in gaining a better understanding of the family as an actively metastasizing organism, which needs to be approached more adaptively.