Strategic family therapy model was developed in the 1950s. The theory comes from Gregory Bateson and the Palo Alto Group with other influences. Strategic family therapy seeks to identify the issues within the family that are causing the current problems. Once the issues are identified, then the therapist can work with the family to change the behaviors so that the issues or problems decrease and untimely stop. Strategic family therapy is short term treatment which uses reframing, redefining, pretend, paradoxical intervention and positioning. “Strategic family therapy is a brief form of therapy characterized by the clinician’s specific focus on changing the family behavior associated with the identified problem” (Gardner, 2006). This draws …show more content…
The therapist needs to create a calm and open environment and attempt to get all members of the family members to participate in the session because according to Michael Rohrbaugh, “Systemic therapists, like Bowen, attach importance to broad multi-generational patterns, but the other approaches do not” (Rohrbaugh, 1982). This why it is critical for the therapist to get the whole family to participate and open up so that the therapist can look at the multi-generational patterns and takes those into account. This can be easier said than done if there are reluctant family members. As with all therapy the family has to want to change including all family members. The initial session allows the therapist to sit back and watch how the family interacts with one another. The therapist can watch for any outward dysfunctional behaviors that are present in the session prior to even asking what the problem is. During the initial session the therapist will pose questions to clients to determine what their problem is and also ask what brought them to therapy. A useful question from our text book is asking the clients “If we had a videotape of this, what would it look like?” (Nicholas, 2013). This I feel is an important question because it gives the family time sit back and think about how each one of them plays a role in the problem. The therapist can see how the family interacts when the questions …show more content…
The use of homework can help the family change their harmful dynamic so they learn to function healthy, and can reach their goals that they set out in the beginning of therapy. Changing the families’ behaviors towards the issues is how change is brought about. Focusing on defining the behavior and how the members interact allow therapist to help the family and start to build the therapeutic bond. Starting with small changes can help the family trust the therapist so that they become flexible. Using homework will also help the family start to change their behavior which can lead to more flexibility with the family. The therapist can then use paradoxical intervention which can cause a change in the family. The therapist uses the first session to gain the trust and understanding with the family so that will listen and work with the therapist. Strategic family therapy seeks to change the family dynamic on multiple levels that may contradict one
Experiential Family Therapy is a therapy that encourages patients to address subconscious issues through actions, and role playing. It is a treatment that is used for a group of people in order to determine the source of problem in the family (Gurman and Kniskern, 2014). Experiential Family Therapy has its strengths and weaknesses. One of the strengths of this therapy is that, it focuses on the present and patients are able to express their emotions on what is happening to them presently. The client will have time to share everything about his/her life experiences one on one without any fears. As a result, it helps the client in the healing process because, he/she is able to express their feelings freely and come out of the problem. Therefore, in this type of therapy, the clients are deeply involved in solving their issues. It helps clients to scrutinize their individual connections and to initiate a self-discovery through therapy, on how their relationships influence their current behaviors (Gurman and Kniskern, 2014). By examining their personal relationships through experiential family therapy, family members are able to
For Bowen, the family is the unit of observation and the emphasis is put on emotional forces that are common to all families, this helps to reduce the significance of which family member is causing the problem. Bowens approach to change is understood within the context of striving to understand life’s forces, the very principal that gives coherence to Bowens approach to therapy. (Friedman, 1991). When attempting to achieve change within a client the source of the issue is less important, but rather trying to locate the systematic forces within a family as well as those that are transmitted from generation...
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).
Rosa and Miguel are experiencing relationship problems due to developmental and financial stressors. This has created a turbulent home environment. Miguel’s verbal abuse and open hostility has Rosa emotionally overwhelmed. He is not physically abusive; however, his anger is upsetting the household. The children are also displaying emotional and physical stress related symptoms. Rosa and Miguel come from emotionally unstable homes, which has impacted their ability to communicate and manage their emotions. Due their inability to communicate in a productive manner, they have sought help to resolve their problems. Both have expressed the concern that they are repeating the harmful behavior they experienced as children. They
...n all family members get involved in trying to help. By the individual’s family being apart of their therapy session, it shows how much their family members care for them and want them to get help with whatever issues they may be having. This is very important because it is a sign of love and it is showing the support that they have for one another. Therapist have also found that during strategic family therapy, they can help all family members with helping to encourage each other as well as create rules and interactions that are psychological healthy for all family members who are involved. It will make it easier for the family members to all get along and understand each other. When one person in the family is having issues, the other members should take the time to talk to one another and help each other out, especially the family member who is in need of help.
Structural Family Therapy offers a framework that provides order and meaning within the family connections (Nichols, 2013). Divorce for a family is considered a significant transition for all parties involved. When counseling a family going through divorce the structural family therapist’s job is to build an alliance with the family and obtain information about the structure. The structure of the family consists of the roles, interactions, organization, and hierarchy. Family therapy yields the belief that changing the organization of the family leads to change in the individual members. The structural family therapist often will try to become part of the family to gain a perspective of their issues as whole so not to place the focus on one individual. Joining is an empathetic approach in helping families explain and break down their individual stories without uncomfortable challenge or unnecessary confrontation (Nichols, 2013). It is important to note that family dysfunction that often leads to divorce is not attributed to one individual, but the entire family system. In structural family therapy, part of dealing with the issue of divorce in the family is to focus on the interactions between all the family members both positive and negative. Through these interactions the therapist can discover where the conflicts arise, which will in turn help the therapist understand how these negative interaction affect the family. Family therapy in these cases allows for repair of long-standing interactional patterns in which divorce is just one of a series of ongoing transactions that are disruptive to the child’s development (Kaplan, 1977, p.75). The structural family therapist often has the family play out these family interactions via enactments so that he can get a firsthand look at maladaptive patterns, roles, and
The intervention process used in contextual family therapy involves framing the discussion to properly address everyone separate story and they move the discussion to the collect desires of the family (Sude, 2015). Interventions that the therapist can use involve given verbal permission for the client to express feelings, thoughts and perspectives. The therapist then uses the intervention process to explore the nature of the clients individual and family conflicts.
The step son reluctant to speak with the step father, and the stepfather is feeling angry and excluded by the son. Structural Family therapy is the model that would work under these conditions. More common than not you have families where the children are not performing to their fullest compatibly at school, are disruptive in the home, and school setting. You are asked to attend counseling the father never shows, which is causing the mother stress, Strategic family therapy model would work under these circumstances. Bowen Family therapy model would work under the following conditions, for example couple gets married at a young age, they know have three children, both work fulltime and live in a modest home which they have fell behind on the mortgage payment. The wife is spending beyond their means, while the children have been rude and disrespectful. However the father is feeling overwhelmed with responsibilities, whenever he attempts to speak with the wife about his concerns, it cause stress and discord in the family structure, she find peace with shopping and being away from the
My theoretical approach to family therapy is very integrative as I believe families cannot be described nor treated from a single-school approach. I view humans through a humanistic and existential lens but am more technically structural and solution-based. With this integrative approach, I believe I will be the most effective in helping families grow and reach their goals.
Furthermore, my goal is to let client fix their problems on their own through insight and guidance from the therapist. I envision a successful therapeutic process being when a client follows their goals and achieves positive outcomes in their lives. I seek to gain a therapeutic process with my clients by building rapport, trust, and helping them gain insight. When my clients are stuck and need motivation, I plan to remind them about their goals and the positive things that will come with change. If family is important to a client, informing the client about their family and their happiness may help motivate them to continue to
All of the family members were present for the sixth meeting including Janice, Leon, Beatrice, Kat, and Guy. The family was introduced to Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT was defined to the family and each family member was encouraged to practice using DBT skills in their daily lives. In addition the family was made aware of the benefits of using DBT. The family was in agreeance that the individual goals of Kat would be the focus of the session.
Nichols, M. P. (2010). Family therapy concepts and methods (9 ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
As a social worker it is often complex to determine which theory to employ in practice, each client will warrant for an in-debt assessment of the presenting problem and goals the client desires to achieve. This paper will explore one family intervention model that can be applied to the Taylor family. The two theories analyzed are Cognitive Behavioral Family Theory, (CBFT) and Structural Family Theory (SFT); both theories can be utilized when assisting individuals or families. The social worker will focus on the Cognitive Behavioral Family Therapy model when applying treatment and interventions to the Taylor family case.
I have gain more knowledge about possible family issues such as poor boundaries, substance use, unhealthy family roles, and poor displacement of authority. From this assignment, I have gain experience in proper case conceptualization and treatment planning in Structural Family Therapy, Strategic Family Therapy, and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. I have gain confidence in my abilities to assess a family’s presenting issue(s) based on specific therapeutic approaches and appropriately planning effective treatment. After reading the provided assessment notes, I was able to pull out important information in order to properly address issues and plan development. Additionally, I was able review the family’s history and determine areas that needed to be explored more in order to properly address the issue/concern.
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).