Monday, June 11, 2012

Family Systems Counseling Theory



     Family systems therapy is based on the idea that individuals are best understood through assessing the entire family. Symptoms in individuals are seen as expressions of dysfunctions. The family is an interactional unit and a change in one member effects all members. Family therapists believe that an individuals relations have more impact in their lives than any one therapist could. The family therapist uses the systemic perspective, it believes that individuals may carry a symptom for the entire family, and an individuals functioning is a manifestation of the way a family functions. Individuals can have symptoms existing independently from the family members but these symptoms always have ramifications for family members. Therefore, family therapists will change the system in order to change the individuals. They do so by changing dysfunctional patterns or relating and creating functional ways of interacting.

Key figures in the family system therapy approach are as follows:
Alfred Adler
Murray Bowen
Virginia Satir                                                                                  
Carl Whitaker
Salvador Minuchin
Jay Haley
Cloe Madanes

       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 is often beneficial. 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 catalyses the strengths, wisdom, and support of the wider system.
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.
     Family therapy has been used effectively in the full range of human dilemmas; there is no category of relationship or psychological problem that has not been addressed with this approach.The conceptual frameworks developed by family therapists, especially those of family systems theorists, have been applied to a wide range of human behavior, including organizational dynamics and the study of greatness

    Family systems theory proposes that we as individuals first learn about ourselves, our emotions and how to manage close relationships from the experience we have growing up in our family of origin. This personal experience influences how we tend to function in all other relationships we may have throughout our lives. As we come to better understand ourselves in our family emotional system, and work to heal our natural, anxious reactions to it, we can become more flexible in our marriages, our parenting, and our work and community relationships.

    While some forms of family therapy are based in cognitive, behavioral, experiential or psychodynamic psychology, the most commonly practiced methods of this therapy are based on family systems theory. Family therapy developed its theoretical foundations fifty years ago from the developing, cross disciplinary body of knowledge called systems theory. Systems theory proposes that everything we experience in the world is interconnected to its context, and can’t be fully understood without it. When it comes to human beings, then, we don’t know who we are without understanding the relationships we have. Those relationships include the ones we have with family, our friends, our neighborhood and cultures, our work and school environments, and those we may have with the larger systems of language, gender, nationality, or religion.

References:

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA:           Brooks/Cole CENGAGAE Learning.

Postmodern Counseling Theory



      Postmodern psychotherapists believe that it is difficult at best, and often impossible, for a mental health "expert" to be able to determine what is "psychologically healthy," since there is no truly objective measurement of mental health.  Postmodern approaches do not have a single founder. A few of the cofounders who had a large impact on postmodern therapy are:
Insoo Kim Berg
Steve de Shazer
Michael White
David Epston

    As in postmodern philosophy, art, architecture, and music, "deconstruction" is a dominant theme in postmodern psychotherapy. In psychological terms, "deconstructing" means to regard the "givens" we take for granted as true (for example, "adolescence is a time for teens to separate from their parents," or "if you don't earn a good living you're not successful") and carefully examine their usefulness/appropriateness from the client's point of view. Practitioners of postmodern therapy even question the "givens" of their own profession( the concept of transference and its relevance to working with clients), and try to pay particular attention to minimizing the unavoidable power of authority granted to the therapist by the client who comes seeking "expert" advice. This is done through working hard to be as collaborative with the client as possible.
     Postmodern therapy focuses on deconstructing common beliefs and examining their value in an individual’s life. For example, postmodern therapists question the definition of “mental health” as well as commonly held assumptions such as the definition of success and what it means to be an adolescent.
The relationship between patient and therapist is highly collaborative rather than authoritative. Change comes about primarily through open dialogue.

The three main types of postmodern therapy are:
Narrative Therapy — evaluates a patient’s thoughts and behaviors in the context of their culture and the story they have written for themselves
Solution-Focused Therapy — a short-term approach that focuses on creating solutions to problems rather than evaluating the root causes of those problems
Collaborative Language Systems — solves problems through talk and collaboration




The benefits of postmodern therapy are:
Postmodern therapy can help patients manage their mental health disorders and dramatically reduce symptoms. Patients have reported the following benefits:
Stress reduction
Improved insight and understanding
Conflict resolution
Greater sense of happiness and well-being
Postmodern therapy has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including:
Eating Disorders
Depression
Addiction
ADHD
Schizophrenia

References:

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA:           Brooks/Cole CENGAGAE Learning.

Feminist Counseling Theory




This theory utilizes the combined efforts of many contributors including Jean Baker Miller, Carolyn Zerbe Enns, Olivia Espin, and Laura Brown. Feminist therapy is an inclusive therapy that puts gender and power at the center of the therapeutic process. Essential to this theory is the premise that social and cultural context contributes to a person’s problems. Further to this is the foundational concept that psychological oppression of women and the constraints imposed by the sociopolitical status affect one’s well being and the opportunities they experience in life.

The vast majority of clients are women as are the therapists who practice using this model of therapy. This contrasts the previously discussed theories that were all founded by white males from Western cultures. Thus, feminist theory challenges the male-originated assumptions in terms of what identifies a mentally healthy individual. Questions that the theorists pose include why women are more frequently diagnosed with depression, how minority needs are best served, and how to deal with individuals being marginalized and oppressed within society.

Feminist theory developed in the 1960’s in response to the emerging needs of women as they began expressing their dissatisfaction with the traditional roles that confined them. Through a network of groups that developed to help women with improving shelter, rape crisis centers, and health and reproductive issues, the area of women’s issues developed. Self-help became the primary focus of aiding these women rather than the traditional approach to psychotherapy. Today, feminist therapy focuses on integrating aspects of understanding oppression, multicultural awareness, and multicultural competency.

Therapy is a partnership between the client and counselor rather than a traditional model of therapist having a superior role of knowledge. As culture and society changed, further areas of specialty developed in the field of feminist therapy including eating disorders, body image, incest and sexual abuse issues. There are a number of philosophies included under the umbrella of feminist theory that continue to change as society and culture shifts. These include such aspects as liberal feminists, cultural feminists, postmodern feminists, and global-international feminists.

Feminist theory works to create a gender fair approach treating individuals with an understanding of the effect of the current social and cultural environment. A major component of this understands that personality development is deeply ingrained in the societal expectation that women are the primary caretakers of children. This role defines how women develop their sense of self and morality and their function of being responsible for those around them. Feminist theory utilizes this quality towards relationships as a strength and approach to healing and growth.

Understanding how women develop their identity falls under the perspective known as gender schema theory. This encompasses components of belief such as girls wear makeup and boys do not. These behaviors determine what is deemed as feminine and masculine and are specific and unique to both society and culture. The therapist works with the client to understand the oppression the client faces and engages in therapy as a shared journey. Trust is an integral part of the process with the therapist believing in and encouraging the client to move forward in a positive and constructive manner.

Therapy works with the client to develop self-awareness of how their beliefs have developed within the context of these gender role expectations. As clients begin to identify that how they define themselves is based in part on this influence, they are able to begin to challenge these adopted roles and rethink the relationships they have as well as the values they hold. Therapy helps clients to identify the internal messages they hold and replace these with beliefs that are more self-enhancing and positive.

Another component of the Feminist theory is to develop skills to bring about change in the environment to remove the gender bias that exists. Individuals thus work to restructure institutions to eliminate the discriminatory practices. Clients further work towards developing behaviors that are chosen freely rather than imposed upon them by society and culture and the expectations of predetermined roles.

A significant limitation of feminist theory is the approach to client problems as being socially and culturally rooted rather than based on an individual level. This may create an oversight in a problem that results from a personal situation or experience that is redirected to an environmental issue. Further, clients who are part of a culture that places great value on tradition and roles may experience greater dissatisfaction with their life through the process of equalizing roles as encouraged in the feminist theory model. Consideration of the individual effects of change identifies another limitation and criticism of this therapy.

Feminist therapy holds two fundamental assumptions that I feel are irrational and even dangerous. First, it presumes that the majority of women’s problems are ultimately caused by masculinity, dismissing the feasibility that fault may lie with the individual or even with other women. Second, for the most part it assumes that gender differences beyond sexual organs and hormones do not actually exist. Any gender differences beyond that are due to society, and usually assumed harmful to women.

At its core, feminist therapy is a cover up for deep-rooted hominophobia, or fear of masculinity. The concept of maleness is offensive to the feminist therapist, and in my belief this dysfunctional view towards men stems from a negative relationship with their own fathers. Fathers who are not present in the lives of their daughters, who are abusive or unloving to their wives, or fathers who model emasculated lives can result in a woman with disdain towards men. Traditions, especially Christian ones, are frequently discarded by feminists because they are seen to subjugate women, hence the continuous push to eradicate them from society. Feminism also routinely rejects the pervasive and widely accepted truth that boys and girls have inherent differences beyond physical sexuality.

Feminist therapy is misleading and utilizes dysfunctional assumptions in order to succeed, the primary one being that ultimately women do not need men, when in reality men and women need each other in any healthy, thriving society. The notion that women do not need men, or vice versa, is absurd in the greater schema of raising children, creating a rich society, or simply living together in this world. I believe that if a woman struggles with issues that have origin in male relationships, the feminist therapist is the worst counselor for the individual to see. Doing so would be akin to the old proverb “the blind leading the blind.” Feminist therapy does not understand male relationships and is in direct opposition to Biblical truth.

In feminist therapy, the idea that a woman needs to be "empowered" is derived from first defining that woman as a victim of masculine bias. The woman must now be "empowered" to rise up and fight back against the male oppression. This perpetuates a war against another class of people, and requires a hostile disposition against men as a stereotype in order to succeed. It also releases the individual woman from any personal responsibility for her condition. So in the end, feminist therapy requires first making women victims, followed by stereotyping men as oppressive, third, perpetuating a hostile war against a class of people, and fourth, blaming the woman's problems on another source when the woman herself may be to blame for her problems. Without the woman as a victim, "empowerment" in feminist philosophy would have no meaning. We as Christians need to move beyond perpetual victimization, stereotyping, and blaming everyone else (i.e. a male society) for our problems when engaging in therapy. Sometimes, one's problems may simply be due to their own bad choices. Feminist philosophy virtually ignores that possibility.

I regret that our society had once oppressed women; forbidding them to vote or have equal opportunity in employment was a grave mistake brought on by early America. When Alexander the Great conquered Israel, the Jews peacefully laid down, seeing him as fulfillment of prophecy. In return, Alexander gave the Jews freedom to worship God. But when Alexander suddenly died, his generals obtained power and enslaved them, desecrating their places of worship. From this betrayal, the Pharisees were born; a resentful and hateful group of people who took an extreme position as a result of oppression and betrayal. The Pharisees, with their extreme views, existed for many generations. I cite this as an historical example that when a people are oppressed, they rebel to a polarizing extreme that can take many generations to heal. Women were oppressed by early western civilization, and they struggled greatly against it. Feminism is the extreme philosophy that birthed itself out of that oppression, and in this sense, it is a manifestation of a "push-back" against past oppression that has finally been allowed to break free. And while I can understand why it exists, that does not make it healthy. It may be many decades before true healing for the modern woman in our society comes. Until then, the anger, hostility, and resentment embedded in feminism will remain with us as a costly reminder that it is always wrong to oppress.

References:

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA:      Brooks/Cole CENGAGAE Learning.



Reality Counseling Theory


 




 Reality Therapy is a counseling method that was developed by Dr. William Glasser in 1965. However, it is so much more than a counseling technique. Reality Therapy is a problem solving method that works well with people who are experiencing problems they want help solving, as well as those who are having problems and appear to not want any assistance. Reality Therapy also provides an excellent model for helping individuals solve their own problems objectively and serves as the ideal questioning series during coaching sessions.

The underlying key to Reality Therapy is the relationship that is established with the person who needs the help. This is most critical when you are attempting to help someone who doesn’t really want your help, such as a non-voluntary client, a resistant student or your sometimes even your own child. Without a positive relationship, you have no influence.

Reality Therapy provides a model by instructing helpers to create a need-satisfying environment. The five basic needs of all humans are survival; love and belonging; power; freedom and fun. So, in a helping relationship, the helper must create an environment where it is possible for the person being helped to feel safe; to feel connected to the helper in some way; to be listened to and respected; to have some choices; and to have some fun or learning with the helper. After creating this need-satisfying environment and working hard to maintain it throughout the relationship, the helper can move on to the actual problem.

 

 After hearing the person’s story, the helper needs to determine what the ideal solution would look like from the other person’s point of view. So, for example, if the person were complaining about a fight he had with his girlfriend, ask the question, “What do you want to happen? How do you want this to work out?” It is critical to get a specific picture of what the ideal solution will look like from the perspective of the person experiencing the problem. The helper is leading him or her away from the problem and into a problem-solution mode. In this way, the focus is off the past and the problem, which cannot be changed. The focus instead is on the behavior the person can create to move himself in the direction of the solution he wants.

The next step is to take an inventory of all the things the person is doing to attempt to get the situation to work out the way he or she wants. The helper asks the person to list the steps he or she is taking to move closer to his or her goal. Typically, the person will only list positive things, but the helper needs to ask them to consider everything he or she is doing that is both helping and hindering his or her progress. It is even acceptable for the helper to add in some observations of his or her own. The point is to get as complete a picture as possible. In addition to considering one’s outward behavior, ask about their thoughts, feelings and physiology (if appropriate), as well.

The next step is the most crucial in the entire process. In the next step the helper asks helpees if their current behavior is likely to get them what they say they want. This is the step where the helper comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable. If the person is already aware that what he or she is doing is not working, then they are already in distress and ready to try something different. So the helper comforts the afflicted by helping them find a solution. On the other hand, if the person is unaware that he or she needs help, this will be the step that drives the point home. Answering this question is likely to afflict the comfortable by holding up a mirror of their own behavior and asking if it is likely to be effective in getting what he or she wants. If the answer is no, then they generally experience enough discomfort to at least look at some alternatives.

The final step in the Reality Therapy process is to help the helpee come up with a plan to do something more effective. This is best accomplished by helping the person focus on those things that are within his or her control—his or her own thoughts and actions. We don’t help a depressed person by simply saying, “Cheer up!” People cannot directly control their feelings but they can directly control their actions and thinking. Similarly, people like to focus their time and attention on what others could and should do to give them what they want but attempting to control others is generally a fruitless activity. Helping people to focus on changing their own behavior and thoughts is generally the goal of Reality Therapy.



Referances:

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9th ed. ed.). Belmont, CA:           Brooks/Cole CENGAGAE Learning.