Family Counseling

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

1. FAMILY COUNSELING Dr. Jyoti Sharma

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 “triangle in” 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 family’s 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 family’s present situation.

7. Precautions: Individual therapy for one or more family members may be Family Counselling recommended to avoid volatile interaction during a family therapy session

8. 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 .

9. 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

10. Growth of Child Guidance Movement evolution of the child guidance clinic in the 1920s and 1930s—— 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.

11. ‘FAMILY LIFE CYCLE’ AND ‘COMMUNICATION PATTERN WITHIN FAMILIES’ 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 individual’s life as those suggested by Erikson, 1959. Levinson, 1978 in their theories discussing the stages of development within an individual’s life.

12. Stages of the family life cycle

13. PAC Model by Berne 1950

14. Contaminated Transanctions

15. 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.

16. Communication Pattern within Families Double bind- a person receives two related but contradictory messages (‘No Win’ 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 parent’s perspective and wishes

17. 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)

18. 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

19. 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