...Family Counseling Approach: Structural Model Jennifer Tankard Liberty University Abstract Structural family therapist takes an approach to therapy that seeks to help the entire family rather than looking at the family member that has a presenting problem. Healthy families have a healthy balance within the family subset when clearly defined roles are present. Structural family therapy was developed by Salvador Minuchin and a team of researchers from New York. The techniques of the theory are centered on creating a healthy relationship among family members. Structural family therapist looks at creating a healthy partnership with each member of the family to help the family find a solution to their problem. Structural family therapy can be integrated with a biblical worldview. Counseling from a Christian perspective will help families understand God’s design for the family, and understand the role of each member as stated in scripture. Christian counselors using an integrative approach to structural therapy will be able to help families see the biblical roles that God has set for the husband/father, wife/mother and the children/siblings to develop a functional family. Keywords: Theory, intervention, psychosomatic, integration, structural therapy, dysfunction, family. Part I Introduction Everyone has a family. Each family is different in how the system functions. A family is defined in many different ways. Some consist of the traditional definition of father, mother...
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...from his or her own background plus any appropriate comments. The major points of this chapter (which could be covered in an instructor’s introduction of the chapter) are as follows: 1. Occupations, including counseling, develop because there is a need. 2. The need for such personal assistance - advice, guidance, counseling - has existed, and in various ways been attended to, over the ages. 3. Many of the well-known historical figures (e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Charlemagne, Rousseau, and Thomas Jefferson) have expressed “counseling” points of view. 4. Psychology emerged as a field of study and psychiatry as a specialized branch of medicine in the late 1800s. 5. The development of programs of guidance and counseling in American education began in the years just prior to World War I. Frank Parsons is usually credited with much of the success of its early beginnings. 6. Parsons considered three factors necessary for the wise choice of a vocation. They were: (a) a clear understanding of self; (b) a knowledge of the requirements and conditions for success, compensation, and opportunities in different careers; and (b) true reasoning on the relationships between (a) and (b). 7. Other influences on the development of the counseling movement were: a. the development of standardized tests appropriate for assessment of intelligence and other characteristics of youth. b. the renewed interest in mental health as a result of Clifford...
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...is important for a mental health counselor to document what they have done in a counseling session or relationship. Case notes help counselors to better understand and conceptualize their clients and information in a counseling relationship (Prieto & Scheel, 2002). This paper presents case notes that I constructed for a counseling session with Aaron, Robyn, and Michelle. S.O.A.P. Notes Subjective-Aaron stated that he is upset at his daughter (Michelle) for getting sick and drinking alcohol in his home. He also said that he is disappointed in his wife (Robyn), because she was encouraging and comforting their daughter, instead of being a parent and not alloying her to drink alcohol. Aaron shared that he does not understand why his wife considers herself as a “friend” to their daughter. Robyn and Michelle both stated that Aaron only cares about what other people in their community think. They also talked about how they feel pressured by Aaron to act like their family is perfect and there are no internal problems going on between them. Michelle shared that she feels that her father wants her to live the life that he wants her to live, and has no idea who she really is as a person. Robyn discussed how she feels that Aaron looks at her and her daughter as a trophy, so he can show them to everyone. Robyn stated, that even though she feels the disconnect between Aaron, she does not want her family to be broken up (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010f). Objective- Each client made...
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...Running head: COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Abstract Counseling has been in existence from the beginning of time. From Jethro to Freud, therapists and philosophers have been seeking insight into the core of human nature and cognitions. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy (CBT) recognizes that faulty cognitions and beliefs affect the behaviors of individuals. One method of cognitive-behavior therapy, reality therapy, incorporates the concepts of free choice and personal responsibility that are taught both in Scripture and Dr. William Glasser’s choice theory. Other aspects of CBT, such as cognitive restructuring and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), also work towards eliminating negativistic attitudes of clients in exchange for more effective and realistic methods for interpreting the situations experienced in daily life. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy It is suggested that an individual’s personality is a complex system of cognition, emotion, will, physiology, and spirituality. Hawkins proposes nine aspects of the human self to be active influences on one’s personality: “body, cognition, feelings, volition, human spirit, Holy Spirit, sin/flesh/SAS, temporal systems, and spiritual systems (Hawkins COUN507_BO1_200920). Each therapist individually determines what factors they believe to make up a person’s being. Larry Crabb views humans as involving both the physical and spiritual aspects of man...
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...multiple settings, such as in groups or families. Even as more research needs to be conducted on its practice, this approach remains a popular way of working with people of all stages and backgrounds. It emphasizes the future, holism, and choice and focuses on the importance of childhood and behavioral goals. Ordinal family positions, lifestyle, and the importance of socialization and encouragement are a few areas that have made strong contributions to the helping professions. Named after Alfred Adler, Adlerian therapy basically highlights birth order, individual life styles, social interests, and concepts pertaining to inferiority and superiority as principle components of personality. For Adler, psychological health is determined by the level of social contribution beneficial to the greater community. Social contribution is increased through the reduction of mistaken beliefs, which frequently lead to maladaptive feelings of inferiority or superiority. Helping clients to identify and change their beliefs about self, others and life, the basic goal of the Adlerian approach helps clients to participate more in a social world. (Corey 2009) Strengths Adlerian therapy is diverse, both in practice and in theory. This flexibility is seen by many as one of its greatest strengths. Because of its emphasis on goals, the social leanings of Adlerian therapy are greatly beneficial to students, couples, families, and groups. Due to individual psychology...
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...Type Indicator test, developed to make C.G. Jung’s personality type theory understandable and applicable to person’s everyday life. The MBTI is a psychometric instrument designed to sort people into groups of personality types. Jungian theory posits that there are different functions and attitudes of consciousness. Perception is the means by which one becomes aware of people, things, events, and concepts; judgment is the means of coming to conclusions about how to handle the information thus gathered (C.J. Jung’s Theory of Types, 2012). Applications have been made across a broad spectrum of human experience, including in areas such as counseling and psychotherapy; education, learning styles, and cognitive styles; career counseling; management and leadership in business organizations and the military services; and health-related issues. A. The MBTI has a unique and interesting history. Unlike most personality inventories, it was initially designed to facilitate research interests, and only later adapted for general use. 1. “The MBTI is a self-report questionnaire that assesses type preferences on Extraversion-Introversion (E-I), Sensation-Intuition (S-N), Thinking-Feeling (T-F), and also on Judgment-Perception (J-P)” (C.J. Jung’s Theory of Types, 2012). 2. “MBTI types are described using four letters indicating preferences on each scale. This results in sixteen types” (C.J. Jung’s Theory of Types, 2012). B. With administration to more than two million...
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...Career Counseling Term Paper [SCHOOL NAME HERE] [YOUR NAME HERE] [DATE HERE] Person-in-Environment The person-in-environment theory concentrates on the situation one may find him or herself in over the course of one’s life. For example, various life stages may include preparing to graduate from high school, going into college, graduating from college, getting married, buying a home, having children, and so forth. These various situations impact the person in different ways. Also, the social context in which the person experiences these stages is also relevant. For example, if a person is entering college and is seeking employment in an area in which other people of the same age are not seeking higher education, there will be some conflicting priorities, needs and abilities that the person will encounter and have to cope with. Another term used to describe the person-in-environment theory is “ecological system” (Zunker, 2012, pg. 57). While this term is more commonly used when talking about flora and fauna in the wild, it is very applicable to career counseling as well. The career world is often congruent to that of the animal kingdom. There are hierarchies, competition for resources, and inevitably someone thrives and someone fails. By focusing on this corresponding model as an analogy to how one’s career may evolve over time and through various obstacles, a career counselor can help a person to focus on external issues and how to best handle them. This is...
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...people to go to counseling. Families kept secrets among themselves and sometimes those secrets came back to haunt people many years later. When faced with problems people relied on their spiritual beliefs, the support of the family, and sometimes close friends. If a girl had gotten pregnant and not married that would have been kept top secret. Usually a family member would raise the baby and no one would ever speak openly about it. My family had to deal with the death of two of my brothers at young ages. It hurt my mother deeply having to deal with the loss of two children because of violence. These tragedies were never discussed even as we became adults. As I became older I realized that my mother and our entire family should have gotten counseling. It was not until after my mother passed that my uncle shared with me the pain and agony that she had suffered but his emotional pain as well. Your view of helping As an adult I see the damage that family secrets and not having the capability to openly discuss problems, or seek professional help when needed can cause. I believe that helping people to identify and resolve their problems is a profession that requires hard work, responsibility, honesty, ethics, and skills. Counseling is the opportunity for a person to make a positive difference in the lives the clients being served. Through research, use, and experiments counselors have a variety of models and theories that can be used. Having the variety of theories and models provide...
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...Counseling Approach To Lisa Janelle Wheatley CNED 401 The Pennsylvania State University Abstract This paper will be focusing on Lisa, a Mexican American woman who suffers from a drug and alcohol addiction. I will be talking about Lisa’s family background and her current situation as well. I will pick a counseling theory and briefly describe this theory in detail. I will then apply this theory to Lisa and her situation. The last thing that this paper will focus on will be why I choose this particular theory for Lisa. Case Conceptualization Lisa is a 32-year-old mother of two twin boys age eight. Lisa suffers from a long history of substance and alcohol abuse. Lisa has been using since the age of 12 and her addiction has only progressed worse over the years. Lisa has experimented with a variety of drugs from marijuana, cocaine and eventually to heroin. Lisa is prone to outbursts of violent behavior and being in life threatening situations. As a counselor it is very important for me to consider all aspects of Lisa’s life, so that I can apply the right theory and provide the best treatment for her. Family and Social Dynamics Lisa comes from a very dysfunctional family. Most of Lisa’s childhood was spent in poverty and despair. She saw her mother getting abused at an early age and usually tried to stop the abuse. Lisa’s father used heroin and eventually died of an overdose. Lisa was taught to survive early on by having to fight her brothers and male cousins. When...
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...Developing Personal Style of Counseling Abstract Counseling is a profession, a unique relationship in which the counselor’s job is to hold a ‘mirror’ for the client to see himself or herself. The counselor understands that sometimes it takes a while for the client to see what he or she needs especially if there are more subtle things needing recognition. The counselor knows how to hold the ‘mirror’ in such a way that the client can see himself or herself from a caring, supportive and sympathetic perspective. Sometimes counselors may appear to be repeating what the client says or paraphrasing the clients rather than giving answers. When counselors are doing this there is a strategy behind it. Counseling is not about expect fixing problematic people, they just motivate people to pick up the broken pieces in their behaviors that need attention. Because counselors have a lot of experience witnessing human beings in various forms of life challenges, they use techniques or share observations that are more revealing than what friends or family members might say. With these revelations, clients make decisions and with the support of the counselor, clients take action towards positive growth in their lives. This paper is an expression of my current thinking regarding a theoretical approach of individual counseling. The counselor’s approach is unique based on his or her personal belief systems and values. I have adopted and integrated counseling approach to understanding...
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...Personal Theory Exploration Sarah Haeck Bowling Green State University Growing Awareness “Knowledge is power.” -Sir Francis Bacon Knowledge is indeed powerful. It allows one to see things in more comprehensive ways. Knowledge doesn’t let one settle. It molds and evolves within someone. Knowledge pushes one to betterment. It can come from outside sources but always is processed and implemented within. As a counselor, knowledge is vital to the wellness and development of the client. Knowing who we are, where we come from, what influences us, and what makes us who we are, these are just some of the questions that help us discover ourselves. I have spent a great deal of time and effort understanding who I am and what goes into that. As well as how the situations and people around me have made impressions on my life. Then beginning to dealing with the issues that have come up because of these things. At the end of the day, I believe a few things to be true: relationships mold our existence, our spiritual lives affect us, and a holistic view and self-awareness are keys to growth. As I have traced the steps of several theories, one sticks out as primary to who I am – Existential-Humanistic Theory. Taking the essence of this theory and combining it with aspects of Developmental Counseling Theory and Family Therapy, I hope to have a comprehensive fit to my personality as a budding counselor. Adaptable and Practical Being highly spiritual makes Existential-Humanistic...
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...Abstract This paper examines four published articles and one chapter in a textbook that reports results from research conducted in counseling sessions involving bullies, the bullied, and others affected by bullying. Reality Therapy (RT), Choice Theory (CT) and Bullying Prevention Programs (BPP) are examined to see their effect on clients becoming autonomous in directing their actions. School shootings have brought to light the effects of bullying and bullying seems to be occurring at epidemic proportions. Studies are needed on how to effectively counsel those involved in bullying so that they can reassess and learn methods to choose better actions to prevent bullying. This paper compares the research along with Glasser’s RT/CT to have counselors and clients examine their own struggles and how specific procedures can lead to changes in behavior. The process allows the clients to move in a direction of getting what they want while stepping away from the world of bullying. It also allows the counselor to teach clients how to make substantial connections with others and how to determine if better choices are possible. Keywords: bullying, RT/CT, BPP A School Counselor’s Approach to Combating Bullying Using the Choice Theory and Reality Therapy Katy Perry once said, “People talk about bullying, but you can be your own bully in some ways. You can be the person who is standing in the way of your success, and that was the case for me.” (Perry, n.d.). RT and CT used in conjunction...
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...Operant Conditioning Techniques. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 157(6), 428-433. This article describes using operant conditioning techniques of female patients with anorexia nervosa. Each patient had a certain criteria that had to be met in order to be a part of the study. Patients were observed for a full week and goals were set for daily and weekly weight gain. Patients were rewarded with certain privileges if goals were met but if a goal was not met than no reward was given. Graham, M. A., Sauerheber, J. D., & Britzman, M. J. (2013, April) Choice Theory and Family Counseling A Pragmatic, Culturally Sensitive Approach. The Family Journal, 21(2), 230-234. Choice theory and reality therapy is used during counseling sessions but not used as much in family therapy. Choice theory is not looked at as a systemic approach but utilizing reality therapy leads to second-order change for couple and families. Second-order change can lead to creating systemic changes in a pragmatic manner. McGinn, L. K....
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...variables when genes pose the probability of predisposition to certain diseases. As to the procedure in which this problem is addressed one needs “To uncover the patient’s genetic background.” In cases of certain types of cancer, for example, there are four specific traits that suggest it is a wise course to take upon genetic testing of the patients’ family members. This is possible in 60% to 95% of the families of cancer patients. The predictions of genetic testing can reduce apprehension and uncertainly of the tested patient. This predictive genetic testing can be a stress reduces for those who have a family history of hereditary disease. Profound anxiety may occur when gray shades pertaining to the uncertainty of a gene cells propensity to carry a serious disease exists within the family history. This stressful mental frame of is a dilemma unto itself, so psychological counseling may be necessary for some patients. Psychological counseling may apply for ton’s illnesses such as hunting disease (a neuro degenerative disease) as well as certain hereditary forms of cancer and some hereditary heart diseases. “The psychological counseling should be tailored to the specific characteristics of the disease.” A disease with no known care such as Huntington’s disease needs a different type of approach. This consists of a variety of forms of therapy thorough out the span of a life time for Huntington disease varies at what age it will strike it’s victim. The average age is around 40 and...
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...Abstract Key components of Alfred Adler’s Individual Psychology Theory are presented and applied to a case study and treatment plan for an adolescent boy. Individual Psychology therapy techniques are utilized to help the adolescent develop insight into his struggles and assist him in developing strategies for change to increase his interest in being a part of his family and society. Credibility of Adler’s theory, from a Christian perspective, is discussed. Conclusions are drawn as to the effectiveness of this theory in assisting the adolescent boy in coming to terms with, and changing his negative behaviors, so that he can live more harmoniously with his family following the divorce of his parents. Keywords: strive for perfection, ‘lifestyle’, significance, sense of community, communal life, social interest, love, private logic, birth order, masculine protest, ‘basic tasks’, tasks of life’, movement, faulty logic, faulty goals, faulty ‘lifestyle’, goals, social contribution, ‘acting out’. Individual Psychology Client’s Presenting Concerns Tyler Marks is an 11year old Caucasian boy. He came to counseling at the request of his parents to address problem behaviors that are affecting his relationships at home and in school. Since his parents’ divorce in 2010, Tyler’s emotional breakdowns have resulted in argumentative and aggressive behavior toward his family. Tyler shows little interest in his role in the family and in school, and expresses dissatisfaction with his parents’...
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