Family Counseling Psychology
Family therapy is a type of psychological counseling (psychotherapy) that can help family members improve communication and resolve conflicts. Family therapy is usually provided by a psychologist, clinical social worker or licensed therapist
2. CONCEPT OF FAMILY
COUNSELING
⢠Family counseling is a program of providing
information and professional guidance to
members of a family concerning specific health
matters, such as the care of a severely retarded
child or the risk of transmitting a known genetic
defect
⢠Family counseling, is a program that consists of
providing information and professional guidance
to members of a family concerning specific health
matters
3. Family counselling is a process in which a family counsellor
helps:
Family counseling is a process in which
a) one or more persons to deal with personal and
interpersonal issues in relation
to marriage; or
b) one or more persons (including children) who are affected,
or likely to be
affected, by separation or divorce to deal with either or both
of the following:
i) Personal and interpersonal issues;
ii) Issues relating to the care of children.
4. Family therapy is based on family systems theory, in
which the family is viewed as a living organism
rather than just the sum of its individual
members.
Family therapy uses systems theory to evaluate
family members in terms of their position or role
within the system as a whole.
Problems are treated by changing the way the
system works rather than trying to fix a specific
member
5. Concepts in Family Therapy
⢠The identified client - family member with the
symptom that has brought the family into
treatment.
⢠Homeostasis (Balance)- Homeostasis means that
the family system seeks to maintain its customary
organisation and functioning over time, and it
tends to resist change
⢠The extended family field- Differentiation refers to
the ability of each family member to maintain his
or her own sense of self, while remaining
emotionally connected to the family
6. ⢠Triangular relationships - Family systems theory
maintains that emotional relationships in families are
usually triangular. Whenever two members in the family
system have problems with each other, they will
âtriangle inâ a third member as a way of stabilising their
own relationship.
⢠Preparation- Preparation also usually includes drawing a
genogram, which is a diagram that depicts significant
persons and events in the familyâs history. Genograms
include annotations about the medical history and major
personality traits of each member. Genograms help
uncover intergenerational patterns of behaviour,
marriage choices, family alliances and conflicts, the
existence of family secrets, and other information that
sheds light on the familyâs present situation.
7.
8. ⢠Precautions: Individual therapy for one or
more family members may be Family
Counselling recommended to avoid volatile
interaction during a family therapy session
9. Not suitable Candidates ???
⢠families in which one, or both, of the parents is psychotic or has
been diagnosed with antisocial or paranoid personality disorder
⢠families whose cultural or religious values are opposed to, or
suspicious of, psychotherapy
⢠families with members who cannot participate in treatment sessions
because of physical illness or similar limitations
⢠families with members with very rigid personality structures (Here,
members might be at risk for an emotional or psychological crisis.)
⢠families whose members cannot or will not be able to meet regularly
for treatment.
10. Developments in Psychoanalysis
⢠Sigmund Freud who specifically focused on intra-
psychic processes during early childhood and
started involving parents in the psychoanalysis of
adolescent cases. Eg. Little Hans Case study
(Phobic problem - Horses)
⢠Harry Stack Sullivan (1953) was concerned not
only with intra-psychic factors but also
interpersonal relationships within the family and
with significant others
11. Growth of Child Guidance Movement
⢠evolution of the child guidance clinic in the
1920s and 1930sââ weekly sessions with the
child in conjunction with regular case work
with one or the other parent initiated
⢠Adlerian theory
⢠Focus on such parental behaviour as maternal
over protectiveness . Clinicians eventually
began to concentrate on the family as a
whole.
12. âFAMILY LIFE CYCLEâ AND
âCOMMUNICATION PATTERN WITHIN
FAMILIESâ
⢠family life cycle is the name given to the stages a
family goes through as it evolves over the years.
Family life and the growth that take place within
it and complement those in an individualâs life as
those suggested by Erikson, 1959.
⢠Levinson, 1978 in their theories discussing the
stages of development within an individualâs life.
17. ⢠Families that are most successful, happy, and
strong, are not only balanced but according to
researchers (Stinnett & DeFrain, 1985), they are:
⢠1) committed,
⢠2) appreciate each other,
⢠3) spend time together,
⢠4) have good communication patterns,
⢠5) have a high degree of religious orientation, and
6)are able to deal with crisis in a positive manner.
18. Communication Pattern within
Families
⢠Double bind- a person receives two related but
contradictory messages (âNo Winâ Paradox)
⢠Marital schism and marital skew: Unusal Patterns. In
marital schism, one parent would undermine the worth
of the other parent by competing for support and
sympathy from children
⢠In marital skew, one of the parents dominate the family
dynamics and decision making process of the home so
much so that it involves complete neglect of the other
parentâs perspective and wishes
19. Types of Family Counseling
⢠Conjoint family counseling (Whole Family
seen at once altogether)
⢠Concurrent family counseling (Individual
sessions)
⢠Collaborative family counseling (Each family
member sees diff counselor/Psychotherapist)
20. Aims and objectives of family
counseling
⢠Improved communication,
⢠Improved autonomy for each member,
⢠Improved agreement about roles,
⢠Reduced conflict, and
⢠Reduced distress in the index client
21. Assessment Process
Structure and History of the Family
Transitional events in family cycle
Nature of relationship/s
Boundaries
Family atmosphere
Roles, Functioning and Pathological Trends in a Family
Role performance
Decision making and power struggle
Pattern of communication and exchange of information
Emotional reactivity
Cohesiveness