...Let me begin this paper by saying that I believe families that get along and have wonderful family gatherings are the dysfunctional ones; we all have some crazy in the mix, I believe that they hide theirs better. That being said I shall begin the journey into my crazy: My father was in the military causing us to travel a lot thereby making my siblings and me to be born all over the country from New York, Maine, Texas and Kansas. Both of my parents were secretive about their families, maybe secretive is a strong word, they simply never talked about them so we never knew them. We became our own best friends, our own playmates and our only way out. My father’s bigotry and alcoholism kept me confused for most of my youth, I didn’t internally feel the hatred he did and I couldn’t understand the anger and physical abuse, which cause me to become invisible and find hiding places in the house that became my safe places. We all found ways to cope and deal with our own situation in our own way. In reading the article by Monica McGoldrick, I became to know a kindred spirit, someone searching for “home” or as she so perfectly put it, “The Ache for Home”. Bowens Family Systems Theory (Bowerian Theory) Bowen stressed in his concept that the individual must first deal with their own issues, personal and family, before they would be able to become a mature, healthy person. (Charles 2001) He also believed that a majority of people’s emotional issues were in...
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... Ron Muchnik Family Therapy Models One of the family systems therapy models that I chose to research is Family Systems Therapy. Family Systems Therapy looks at the family as an emotional unit. The Family Systems approach is based on idea that families and their patterns of communication and interaction directly affect human beings and how they function. When applied to families, Family Systems Therapy allows therapists to evaluate the parts of a system (family) in relation to the whole. This theory further suggests that an individual’s behavior is informed by and inseparable from the functioning of his or her family of origin (GoodTherapy.org, 2007-2015). The second family systems therapy that I chose to research was Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is based on the premise that therapists help the client or family focus and understand on the solution(s) to their problem(s) instead of understanding the problem(s) itself. SFBT ultimate goal is to create a solution based on the solution of the problem while empowering clients or members of the families to build their self-esteem and independence. In this type of therapy it is imperative that the therapist disregard their own worldview and adapt to their clients or families worldview. The goals for the family in SFBT should be definitive, small, positive, and important to the client or family (Cepeda & Davenport, 2006). Family Systems Therapy Family systems theory views the family as an emotional unit...
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...Family Systems Therapy Alexis M. Foote Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi Family Systems Therapy There are a number of theories under the Family Systems Therapy group that focus on communication patterns within the family unit. Systems theory is based on the family’s response to feedback from one another and the desire of the group to make changes to maintain the status quo. In the family system we discover who we are, we grow and change, and we give and receive support that is necessary for survival (Corey, 2013). A number of theories exist based on various approaches, but the theory behind them is that families are SYSTEMS of interconnected and interdependent individuals and to understand the individual, we must understand the family system. The family systems perspective is rooted in the idea that the client’s behavior may do four things, the behavior may serve a purpose of function for the family, the behavior may be unintentionally maintained by the family, be a function of the family’s inability to operate productively, and lastly the behavior could be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns that have been handed down across generations (Corey, 2013). Alfred Alder was the first therapist to use family therapy in a systemic approach. Following him, Murray Bowen developed his Multigenerational Family Therapy approach to resolving problems in the family unit. He focuses on differentiation of self for individuals to reduce the chance for entanglement, which...
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...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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...Systems Paper BSHS/312 Systems Paper Structural Therapy was first recognized by Salvador Minuchin in the structural school of counseling back in 1974. Minuchin observed that families developed patterns within the family that resulted in structure. Each family operates with transactional patterns that represent a system. Structure is a mutual agreements made between people until someone decides that they want to go in another direction. Families have a process of verbal and nonverbal communication that amongst family members makes it easy to understand. The goal of structural therapy is to transform dysfunctional family structures by creating imbalance. The attempt is done by the therapist to influence the family into positive change. Ultimately, the goal for the family is to focus on having change to better balance. Family-Directed Structural Therapy (FDST) is an approach to family therapy built upon traditional concepts of Structural Family Therapy, the strengths model, and group work therapy. This therapy is focused on a multicultural population in the Midwest being researched the last 12 years. The diversity that the Midwest had was one of the better options for observation having the different cultures. Sessions are set and timed as the initial assessment generally requires one 90 minute session and then seven to nine sessions with a therapist. Therapist assists the family in incorporating the process and vocabulary of FDST into their everyday lives....
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...viewing first-order cybernetics, we observe from the outside of what is going on in the system. We do not view ourselves as part of the system and do not concern ourselves with what the system does or why it does it. What we are concerned with is describing what is happening in the system. We aim to answer questions such as, “who are members of the system?, what are the characteristic patterns of interaction in this system?, what rules and roles form the boundaries of the system and distinguish it as separate from other systems?. “(Becvar & Becvar 2014. Pg 69 ) In first-order cybernetics we also attempt to find out how freely information is transmitted in and out of the particular system, as well as view the balance between change and stability within the system. Consistent with the element of recursiveness, the system is one that has reciprocal causalty and not linear and both people and events are mutually interactive and influenced. In order to analyze the family system, relationships and interactions amongst members are viewed instead of viewing the individuals in isolation. From the perspective all systems are influenced and influence each other. From a cybernetic perspective, we acknowledge that an isolated cause/effect event is only a small part of a large pattern of circularity. “Feedback refers to the process whereby information about past behaviours is fed back into the system in a circular manner.” ( Becvar & Becvar, (2014) pp. 70) 1 In first order cybernetics...
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...ABSTRACT Due to the many challenges that couples and families are faced with, they may find themselves dealing with problems and situations that they are unsure how to resolve. It is during this time, couples or families may seek out the help of marriage therapist. The purpose of this paper is to examine a brief history and the development of marriage and family therapy, and its importance to the counseling field. Five aspects of this field will be discussed: roles of marriage and family therapist, training and licensure requirements, techniques used in marriage and family therapy, client or therapist initiated termination, and confidentiality. Also, important elements of counselor identity, function, and ethics related to marriage family therapy will also be discussed. The author will also provide biblical values and insights related to the field of marriage and family therapy. In conclusion, the author will discuss their commitment to provide biblically- Keywords: family therapy, marriage therapy Marriage and Family Therapy Because of the many challenges families are faced with, marriage and family therapy has received increased attention. Overtime, the family structure has become more diverse. Families are no longer your typical nuclear family, where Father, Mother, and children live under one roof. At the present time, families may consist of step-parents, step-children, grandparents, adopted children, single parents, aunts and uncles, and same-sex couples...
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...Marriage and Family Therapist John Doe University of Southern Mississippi Upon entering into college I never really knew what I wanted to major in. I have always felt the desire to help people. I was fortunate enough to be able to work with troubled teens in a Psychiatric facility, and that experience influenced my decision to major in psychology. One of my major concerns was trying to figure out what I really wanted to do with a Psychology degree, and once decided if I would have to enroll into graduate school to further my education. With that being said, would I have the appropriate grade point average or could I pass the Graduate Record Examination in order to get into graduate school? The career that I decided to research is the Marriage and family therapist. Marriage and family therapist (LMFT) diagnose and treat mental and emotional disorders, whether cognitive, affective, or behavioral, within the context of marriage and family systems (A Comparative Analysis, 2008). A Comparative Analysis found that LMFT apply psychotherapeutic and family systems theories and techniques in the delivery of professional services to individuals, couples, and families for the purpose of treating such diagnosed nervous and mental disorders (2008). Therapy usually consists of talk sessions, asting about an hour. Using techniques learned in classrooms and in fieldwork, counselors guide their clients through a series of conversations that reveal their...
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...Settings and Specialties: practice is mostly home based family therapy due to the serious physical conditions of the clients. She has worked with cases with Muscular Dystrophy, Quadriplegia, and diabetes in children. The therapy is concentrated on way to adjust to their condition and implement ways they would feel comfortable with to socialize more and feel motivated to leave the house (frustration, at times, with wheelchair, looks from other people in society, etc). For cases with Diabetes, the struggle is to have the teenager understand and protect himself or herself by not eating the foods their friends have at parties, outings, etc. She also works with the families on how to educate the schools (child's teachers) about the illness and how the school could embrace the child and create an atmosphere where the child feels more comfortable socially and the other students are not intimidated by child's wheelchair and/or presence of personal assistant or nurse. Ronit also, spent 7 years practicing in the foster home/adoption field. She worked with prospective adoptive parents during the time they meet the child they decide to adopt from the foster care system. She utilizes a brief systemic model of therapy. In her approach, the client is the expert and we work with the strengths and resources the client already possesses. In this approach (solution-focused therapy is one model of systemic therapy she uses), she and her client’s look at what has worked in the past and what was...
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...and psychological issues. Oftentimes, these families are involved in the child welfare system, due to the negative violence and discord in the households, which places children at risk. This population is of great interest, as that studies have shown adolescents who witness domestic violence are vulnerable and do not have the capacity to understand nor cope with the trauma. According to Osofsky (2003), adolescents experience intense stresses that include fear of death and fear of loss of their parent. The negative effects result from children having to integrate the experience of violence and child welfare involvement, while living in a stressful environment. As a future clinician, I would like to utilize different therapy methods and specific strategies in treating these individuals. Integrated review of literature Children who have been involved in the child welfare system have experienced or witnessed some form of abuse or neglect, which causes them to have behaviour, emotional and psychological issues. Some of their behaviors, which are moderate to severe include: hitting, pushing, kicking and threatening others. Moylan, Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, Herrenkohl, & Russo (2009) suggest many children who witness domestic violence have also directly experienced child abuse and experience a wide range of adverse behavioral and psychosocial outcomes. In the overview of literature the authors gives a culmination of families types, cultural styles, and the issues these...
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...Treatment for reactive attachment disorder is problematic and challenging for patients and families. It can be grueling for parents and therapist to continue to provide proper structure and a nurturing environment. A stable environment is imminent to bring a child out of this dark world. The child needs structure, stability, and unlimited supply of love to recover from or even manage the disorder. The American Journal of Family Therapy provides a case study of a four year old boy named Tom living in his sixth foster home for the past ten months, with the diagnoses of RAD. Tom was born to a mother addicted to crack cocaine, used during pregnancy, incarcerated ending in the loss of custody of Tom. A three-stage treatment plan has been designed to fit the needs of Tom and his family in effort to provide bonding with foster parents along with trying to relieve the frustrating day to day living for Tom and his caregivers. All other treatments previously have failed and parents are discouraged, tired, and it is tearing the family apart. Five other siblings are in the household as well....
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...Family Counseling Approach: Narrative Lisa R. Murray Liberty University Online Abstract Narrative therapy is a therapeutic approach that is used alone or in conjunction with other methods of therapy. This particular method of therapy is used in family therapy to help clients focus on gaining access to preferred story lines in reference to their lives and identities the family dynamics that may affect them. The preferred story line will replace the place of the previous negative and self-defeating narratives about themselves. Helping clients within a family counseling to begin to become the author of their own story is important in many cases to overcoming multigenerational affects. Narrative therapy aids in this process. This comprehensive evaluation of narrative therapy within the structure of family therapy and the integration of faith will be constructed in the following pages. Keywords: self-defeating, Narrative therapy, multigenerational, therapeutic Introduction Narrative therapy is considered apart of the Social Construction Model. This particular type of therapy, the counselor or therapist is not a dominant entity or focal point of the process. Instead the therapist is seen as an influential individual to the client. The counselor will aid the client with the process of internalization and the creation of new stories or narratives within themselves that help them to draw new assumptions about themselves. This is done through the process of the client...
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...Systems Chart and Annotated Bibliography April 16, 2012 Professor James Bell Systems Chart and Annotated Bibliography Introduction Every family has ups and down most of the time they are not even aware of them. And most of the time they are aware of their problems. Not every family looks at themselves as a system; a system is not a direct determination that a typical family would consider themselves because they just live life one day at a time. To be able to understand the system within ones family the family must first understand themselves and once that has been established them the family will then start to understand their individual system. A system within a family hold balance respect here understanding of on another. A family system also allows for the family to communicate when there are problem among them that would not be normal addressed. Annotated bibliography This article explains how incest is considered abuse. "Incest, as both sexual abuse and abuse of power, is violence that does not require force...It is abuse because it does not take into consideration the needs or wishes of the child, rather meeting the needs of the `caretaker' at the child's expense...incest can be seen as the imposition of sexually inappropriate acts, or acts with sexual overtones, by - or any use of a minor child to meet the sexual or sexual/emotional needs of one or more persons who derive authority through ongoing emotional bonding with that child." (Blume, 1990,...
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...SUPPORTIVE APPROACHES TO CHILDREN WITNESSING FAMILY VIOLENCE Introduction Exposure to domestic violence, which can lead to significant health and developmental problems, is a common occurrence for many children. There is an ongoing need to develop and evaluate effective interventions for children exposed to domestic violence and disseminate information about best practices to domestic violence advocacy programs and other service providers Part A. Psycho educational or supportive approaches Safety first The first and the most key intervention for children is to address the issues of safety for the family. This usually involves working with the victim of violence to discuss the options he/she might consider to increase safety. Legal advocacy and domestic violence service agencies are good resources for addressing the challenges of safety. The first step toward helping the child is seeing that the abused parent is safe; another essential step is in assisting older children and adolescents in planning for their safety. Helping children and teens to develop specific strategies for keeping safe gives them a sense of control so that they feel less vulnerable. Counseling services There are a wide variety of counseling and mental health interventions available to families affected by domestic violence. Usually, families need more than therapy; they need case management and advocacy to assist the victim of violence in navigating the legal system, and in obtaining the resources and support...
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...Recovery Model in MFT Steven W. Place Northcentral University Recovery Model in MFT The Recovery Model Introduction If the famous quote by Heraclitus, “The only thing that is constant is change,” is true, then one must wonder how the mental health field resisted change for so long. In light of the modern age, characterized by scientific methodologies, the mental health field advanced rapidly. Amazingly, the human condition could be put to test, understood and categorized. Sadly, anything falling outside the “norm” became “abnormal.” Once a person was identified as “abnormal,” they were the lucky recipients of a label they carried with them for life, or until they “recovered.” Mental health labels carry with them a certain stigma that communicates to the person they are different, perhaps less of a person and that “normal” may never be a reality with their “illness.” Recovery would be based on becoming symptom-free, or at the very least, a significant reduction in symptoms (Gehart, 2012). The mental health field has experienced tremendous growth in terms of understanding the plethora of conditions people experience, as well as in treatment of those conditions. However, one thing remained unchanged until recently. The idea behind recovery shifted from coercive treatment to person-centered change (Onken, et al, 2007). Gehart states is this way, “instead of using the medical paradigm of disease, the recovery paradigm approached mental “illness” using a social model of disability...
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