Think of a familiar family who may be going through some difficulty that could bring them to see a therapist. This can be: 1) your own family, 2) a family that you personally know, 3) a reality TV family, or 4) a completely fictional family such as The Simpsons, the Everdeen family from the Hunger Games, or the Pritchetts from the show Modern Family. These are just examples! Please consider a conflict that they may be (or potentially could be) experiencing from the perspective of TWO of the family theories (i.e. Intergenerational Family Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Strategic Family Therapy, Humanistic and Experiential Family Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Multisystemic Family Therapy, Narrative Family Therapy, Feminist Family Therapy). Feel free to either discuss some real issue, or be creative to make up some type of issue or problem that could be addressed in therapy! What is the underlying cause of the conflict per these two family theories? What would be the therapeutic goals, and what techniques would two types of family therapists use in working with this family?
Your grade is based on the following:
10 points – Discussion of Family Factors – Who are the members of your family? (Describe the family.) What are the family dynamics? What presenting problems did your clients demonstrate? What brought them to therapy?
20 points – Use of 1 family systems therapy – Name the first family theory that you will be discussing. How would that type of theorist conceptualize the family problem? (In other words, what does this theory consider to be problematic?) How does that apply to the concerns your family is experiencing? Which techniques could you use in working with this family? (Please name and describe techniques!)
20 points – Use of another family systems therapy – Name the second family theory that you will be discussing. How would that type of theorist conceptualize the family problem? (In other words, what does this theory consider to be problematic?) How does this conceptualization apply to the concerns of your chosen family? Which techniques could you use in working with this family? Please name and describe techniques from this therapy!