Counselling Techniques for Family and Relationships PDF

Counselling techniques for family and relationships.  What is family ? In the field's early years, many clinicians defined the family in a narrow, traditional manner usually including parents and children. As the field has evolved, the concept of the family is more commonly define...

Counselling techniques for family and relationships.  What is family ? In the field's early years, many clinicians defined the family in a narrow, traditional manner usually including parents and children. As the field has evolved, the concept of the family is more commonly defined in terms of strongly supportive, long-term roles and relationships between people who may or may not be related by blood or marriage.  What is Family therapy? ❑ Family therapy is a kind of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in close relationships. ❑ It is also known as couple and family therapy, marriage and family therapy, famil y systems therapy, and family counseling. encourage growth and transformation. ❑ It frequently interprets change in terms of the ways that family members interact with one another. ❑ Family interactions are emphasized as a critical component of psychological well- being. ❑ The different schools of family therapy have in common a belief that, regardless of the origin of the problem, and regardless of whether the clients consider it an individual or family issue, involving families in solutions often benefits clients. ❑ This involvement of families is commonly accomplished by their direct participation in the therapy session. ❑ The skills of the family therapist thus include the ability to influence conversations in a way that catalyzes the strengths, wisdom, and support of the wider system  History of family therapy Family therapy as a distinct professional practice within Western cultures can be argued to have had its origins in the social work movements of the 19th century in the United Kingdom and the United States. As a branch of psychotherapy, its roots can be traced somewhat later to the early 20th century with the emergence of the child guidance movement and marriage counseling. The formal development of family therapy dates to the 1940s and early 1950s with the founding in 1942 of the American Association of Marriage Counselors There was initially a strong influence from psychoanalysis (most of the early founders of the field had psychoanalytic backgrounds) and social psychiatry, and later from learning theory and behavior therapy are significant.  Name the basic problems that can be seen within a family system? Elaborate 3. Family therapy uses a range of counseling techniques /models. Family system therapy Structural therapy - Looks at the Identifies and Re-Orders the organization of the family system Strategic therapy - Looks at patterns of interactions between family members Systemic/Milan therapy - Focuses on belief systems Narrative Therapy - Restoring of dominant problem-saturated narrative, emphasis on context, separation of the problem from the person Transgenerational Therapy - Transgenerational transmission of unhelpful patterns of belief and behavior.  Family system therapy ❑ Murray Bowen created one of the earliest comprehensive theories of family counseling. He introduced family systems therapy, in the 1950s He considered that self- differentiation, or the capacity to distinguish between ideas and emotions, was the aim of therapy. ❑ According to his theory, self-differentiation reduced illness and anxiety in the family. ❑ He would be open to working with a single family member rather than asking participation from several family members because self-differentiation is an individual process. ❑ This approach emphasizes that families function as emotional units and operate as interconnected systems of interdependent individuals. ❑ Family members influence one another deeply, and their psychological dynamics cannot be fully understood when viewed in isolation from the family system as a whole. ❑ Bowen's theory suggests that family members interact in consistent, patterned ways based on their roles within the family and the implicit agreements that shape their relationships https://www.psychotherapy.net/video/family-systems-theory  2.Differentiation of The eight principles of Self: Refers to the family systems theory ability to maintain one’s emphasize the Triangles: A sense of individuality interconnected nature relationship system while being part of the of family members, involving three people. family unit. Individuals shifting attention from Typically, one side of with high an individual "patient" the triangle is in conflict differentiation can to the broader while the other two are pursue their own goals dynamics and in harmony, which can independently, whereas circumstances contribute to the those with lower impacting the family as development of clinical differentiation may a whole. Two key problems within the depend on others for interlocking concepts family system. validation and are more from Dr. Bowen’s likely to experience co- theory are: dependency.  3.The Nuclear Family Emotional 4.The Family Projection Process Process refers to patterns in how involves parents passing their anxiety, family members emotionally interact. emotional concerns, or relational Bowen identified four primary issues onto their children. Instead of issues:marital or partner conflict, addressing their own problems, dysfunction in a spouse or partner, parents may focus on fixing perceived emotional distancing, and issues in their children. This leads to impairments in one or more children internalizing their parents’ children.These dynamics often fears and concerns, shaping their manifest as arguments, criticism, development in ways that reflect the underperformance, parents' unresolved emotions. overperformance, or emotional withdrawal.  5.The Multigenerational Transmission Process suggests that deep-rooted family patterns and behaviors are passed down through generations. Bowen believed these dynamics influence an individual’s sense of "self," affecting their ability to differentiate and form relationships. Individuals tend to choose partners with similar levels of differentiation, and even small differences between parents and children can lead to substantial variations in differentiation levels across generations. 6.Emotional Cutoff occurs when individuals distance themselves or sever ties with family members to avoid stress or conflict. However, this avoidance does not resolve underlying issues and often results in placing excessive emotional weight on current or future relationships, leading to additional stress and tension. 7.Sibling Position refers to the roles children tend to assume within the family based on their birth order. Parental expectations and disciplinary approaches shape these roles. For example, an oldest child may develop leadership qualities and pair well in professional or personal relationships with a youngest child, who might take on a more supportive role. Complementary sibling roles are associated with stronger relationships, whereas conflicting roles may increase the likelihood of challenges, such as divorce. 8.The Societal Emotional Process highlights the impact of broader social and cultural forces on family dynamics. Bowen observed that societal influences, such as those within the criminal justice system, affect family relationships. During periods of societal regression or heightened anxiety, these external pressures can intensify emotional stress within family systems, influencing how they function and interact.  Structural Family Model ❖ Structural Family Therapy was originated by Salvador Minuchin and his colleagues at the Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic (PCGC) in the 1980s. ❖ Initially, Structural Family Therapy was utilized to treat a number of child/adolescent behavioral problems for everything from bedwetting to eating disorders to fire-setting. ❖ This is a type of family therapy that assesses the subsystems, boundaries, hierarchies, and coalitions within a family (its structure) and focuses on direct interactions between the family members (enactment) as the primary method of inducing positive change ❖ Essentially, Structural Family Therapy addresses problems in functioning within a family. In order to bring about change within the family, Structural Family therapists will first “join” with the family in order to understand the invisible rules that govern its functioning.  The counselor takes note of how family members relate and interact with one another which is referred to as mapping. The family counselor ultimately attempts to change the dysfunctional relationships within the family, causing it to stabilize into healthier patterns. ➔ According to structural family therapy, families with problems will find their own solutions to their inefficient ways of connecting to one another when given adequate conditions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMtkJMlwswM For example, a structural family therapist working with a family whose daughter is anorexic would examine such family issues as the framework of authority, the rules that govern the assumption of roles, the various functions that members perform, and the coalitions created by the bonding of certain family members, and then would encourage all members to use this information to develop more productive patterns of interaction that in turn can mitigate the stresses within the family context surrounding the daughter’s condition  Strategic therapy The practice of strategic family therapy gained popularity due to Milton Erickson and Jay Haley. They held the opinion that recurring responses to family encounters are what keep the family's issues alive. It is the therapist's responsibility to inspire the family to implement second-order change, which entails coming up with fresh solutions for behavioral issues. It is not like structural family therapy, where the majority of the work is completed outside of sessions. The family will get homework from the therapist asking them to try out new solutions to problems that keep coming up. One of the primary strategies employed by a therapist is paradoxical aim. A therapist could, for instance, "prescribe the symptom" and advise a family to carry on with their routine in the hopes that they will rebel and try something else.  BRIEF STRATEGIC FAMILY THERAPY For almost 45 years, BSFT has been thoroughly examined as an evidence-based intervention for treating internalizing and externalizing disorders in children and adolescents. A large portion of research with teenagers has been on acting-out behaviors, such as drug or alcohol abuse, delinquency, connections to antisocial friends, and poor family functioning. BSFT is the ultimate strengths-based therapy. BSFT uses strengths to transform problematic family behaviors into constructive interactions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePvDNV58Ex4 For example, when a family presents with pain, we help the family to uncover the concern, caring, and love that is behind the pain. When families fight, we talk about the strong connections among family members. When a mother is caring toward one child and not another, we help the mother to own her ability for caring and transfer it to her interactions with all her children ★ According to him, family dynamics frequently lived in triads, or triangles, and the therapist's job was to identify these dynamics as an unbiased coach and educator. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgvwyeO8Tzo  Narrative therapy Narrative therapy (NT) is a strengths-based approach to psychotherapy that uses collaboration between the client or family and the therapist to help clients see themselves as empowered and capable of living the way they want. NT assists clients in developing a "This too shall pass" mindset in the midst of crisis or trauma, while presenting the therapist as an supportive partner throughout the process. NT's capacity to keep clients apart from issues and bring families together to confront harmful practices makes it helpful for both individuals and families. NT also lends itself nicely to interacting with families since it prioritizes accomplishments over issues. https://www.youtube.com/w atch?v=Ip9eAEWc_yA  Conclusion ❑ Family therapy is an evidence-based treatment that’s grounded in theory and skill-based dialogue (conversations). ❑ It provides a supportive, nonjudgmental and safe environment that allows your family to talk openly with a mental health professional. ❑ This professional is objective and specially trained to help your family with the issues you’re having. ❑ With the guidance of a mental health professional, you work on improving the interactions and communication among your family members. ❑ You work to incorporate healthy behaviors to improve your family’s functioning and well-being. Family therapy can also help you understand and help treat a family member’s mental health or behavioral condition. Your therapist may? Ask each family member about their concerns and challenges and hopes for family therapy. Encourage everyone to talk and listen to each other. Clarify everyone’s words and feelings so everyone understands each other. Help your family members understand the impact of their words and behaviors. Help your family explore how you can work together to make positive changes. Suggest strategies for changing problematic behaviors and patterns. As conversation is the main part of family therapy, it’s essential for all family members who are participating to be actively involved in the therapy. The trust and relationship between you and your therapist are essential to working together effectively and benefiting from the therapy.  The Family Diagnostic Interview When a therapist starts to work with a family the first one or two interviews are usually ‘getting to know you’ sessions. (2) Joining the family (3) Defining the (1)The initial contact. and establishing desired outcome. rapport. (4) Reviewing the family’s history, determining its (5) Assessing the present current functioning developmental stage of the family and constructing a genogram.  (7) Offering the family (6) Developing a diagnostic feedback and formulation. recommendations. (9) When a professional colleague has (8) Arranging whatever further referred the family, informing that person interviews, diagnostic procedures or of the results of the assessment, and of referrals are recommended. any recommendations arising from it, including any proposed treatment plans.