Family and Couples Counseling

8/3/2019 Family and Couples Counseling

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Marriage, Family, andCouples Counseling

Jay Hayden



Overview

• What is a Family

• Family life cycle• Types of family• Family stressors

• Major theories used in both marriage andfamily counseling

• Enrichment with Marriage and Family



What is Marriage and FamilyCounseling?

• relatively new field • major growth in 1970's-80's • concentrates on making changes in

systems while individual and group focuson intra/inter personal changes



What is a Family?

• Family : considered to be those persons who arebiologically and/or psychologically relatedthrough historical, emotional, or economic bondswho perceive themselves to be part of a

household.

• This is a bit wordy....how would you define afamily?



Family Life Cycle

• Family Life Cycle: Name given to the stagesa family goes through as it evolves over theyears.

• Stages sometimes parallel and complementindividual life cycle of family members



9 Stages of Family Life Cycle

1.Unattached adult 2.Newly Married Adults 3.Childbearing adults 4.Preschool-aged child 5.School-aged child

6. Teenage child 7. Launching center 8. Middle-aged adults 9. Retired Adults



Different Types of Families

1.Minority Ethnic Families 2.Dual Career Families3.Single Parent Families 4.Childless Families Research suggests that working womenare more likely to experience conflictbetween their work and family roles

than working men?

What are your thoughts on this?



Different Types of Families

5. Remarried Families

6. Gay and Lesbian Families 7. Aging Families 8. Multi-generational Families 9. Military Families



Family Life Stressors

• Vertical: stressors that deal with family patterns,secrets, legacies, and are inherited from othergenerations

• Horizontal: stressors related to the present that dealwith developmental changes or unpredictable events



Common Stressors in Families

• Economics and finance • Behaviors of children • Insufficient family play time • Insufficient personal time • Insufficient couple time • Communicating with children Can you think of anything to add to this list?



Research behind M.F.T

• 50% of the problems brought to counselors arerelated to marriage and family issues

• Family counseling interventions are at least aseffective as individual interventions for mostclient complaints and lead to greater durability of change



Research Continued

• The presence of BOTH parents in familycounseling situations greatly improves thechances for success

• Effectiveness within marriage counseling nearlydoubles when both partners meet with acounselor together rather than only spouse

receiving help



Couple and Marriage Counseling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TmugJo-c9Y



Approaches to Marriage Counseling

1.Psychoanalytic

2.Social Learning 3.Bowen Family Systems 4.Structural-Strategic 5.Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy



Psychoanalytic

• Based on theory of object relations • Use interpretation, dream work, and analysis of

resistance

• Focus: have couple gain new insights into theirlives and lead to changed behaviors



Social Learning

• Partners either have a deficit or excess of neededbehaviors

• Use self reports, observation, homework

assignments • Focus: skill building in the PRESENT



Bowen Family Systems

• Need to separate ourselves from our families of origin and form stable self concepts

• Use genograms to assess self and family and

answer content based questions about one'sfamily • Focus: differentiation of one’s thoughts from

one’s emotions and one’s self from others



Structural-Strategic

• Marital difficulties are generated by the systemthe couple is in

• Counselor is directive and ask clients to pretendto make changes or to complete home work tobring about new functional behaviors that willhelp the couple achieve a specific goal

• Focus: couple needs to try new behaviors sinceold ones are not working



R.E.B.T

• Irrational thinking is what leads to neurosis and

relationship disturbance • Counselor first works with partners separately

then counsels them together

• Focus: Couples need to challenge and changetheir belief systems and stop catastrophizingabout themselves and their marriage



Make a Genogram !

Map out your personal genogram. Incorporate you personal

family system including any immediate friend, family, and/orromantic partner. We will use these genograms later in the presentation.



Background of Family Counseling

• Family typically enters counseling because of family "trouble maker"

• Circular causality : Family members affect each

other for better or worse and the family as awhole through their multiple interactions. This can especially be seen during Christmas...



Dysfunctional Families...we've all beenthere ...

A h l C l

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-JjME-XuGE



Approaches to Family Counseling

1.Psychodynamic: object relations,unconscious/unresolved conflict, help familyobtain insight into family of origin conflict

2. Experiential: unaware of their emotions, goal isto open family members to new experiences andexpress feeling

E i i l N d i R l



Experiential: Nonproductive Roles

•

Placater: agrees and tries to please

• Blamer: dominates and finds fault • Responsible Analyzer: remains emotionally

detached and intellectual•

Distractor: interrupts and constantly chattersabout irrelevant topics

Where do you fall within these roles? Label these

roles within your genogram.

F il C li C t'd



Family Counseling Cont'd

3. Behavioral: importance of family rules and skill

training, focus on changing family interaction throughteaching, modeling, and reinforcing new behaviors

4. Structural: Counselor helps family change theirstructure, reframe their problems, create clearboundaries and appropriate ways of interacting.

F il C li C t'd



Family Counseling Cont'd 5. Strategic: Focus on process rather than on content of

dysfunctional interactions, pay little attention to instillinginsight

6. Brief Solution-Focused:

Utilization principle: use whatever clients present incounseling as a basis and means for client solutions andchange. Try to help clients get a different perspectiveon their situation

F il C li C t'd



Family Counseling Cont'd 7. Narrative: Emphasizes the reauthorizing byindividuals and families of their life

stories. All family members can objectivelyaddress unproductive behaviors to create

change in their story

M i g d F il E i h t



Marriage and Family Enrichment

•Primary prevention method to couple or familycounseling is by enrichment.

• Marriages and families are healthier by

participating in enriching activities

ex: couples retreat, family bonding activities

Hillary Wing Richards LPC MA/Ed S



Hillary Wing Richards, LPC., MA/Ed.S

• Licensed Professional Counselor

-runs private practice out of home-has been practicing professionally for20 years

• Adjunct Psychology Faculty at JMU-teaches classes with the social workand psychology department

• Use to be director of local rape crisis agency

(agency now The Collins Center)

Client Base



Client Base

• 70% of her practice is involves couples and families

• Spike in this clientele within the last 5-8 years

• Believes this surge has to do with today’s society andeconomic state

Therapeutic Technique



Therapeutic Technique

• Mostly Person Centered, but varies between clients and

families depending upon their needs

• Describes her approach as an eclectic view

• Emphasis on positive regard for client and fostering ahealthy therapeutic relationship based on trust andunderstanding

Future for Counseling?



Future for Counseling?

• Move towards brief therapy

• This progression is in part due to insurance companies onlycovering a limited number of sessions

• Good future outlook: More people are comfortable withcoming to counseling.

-more Men are coming forward than in the past

Any Advice?



Any Advice?

• NETWORKING!

• Importance of self care• Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know

the answer” and seek help • Participate in trainings and continue

your education• Keep an open mind• Be vigilant of insurance companies

and stay up to date with theirever changing standards

• LOVE WHAT YOU DO!

Documents

Family and Couples Counseling