Family Therapy Research Paper
Psychotherapy encompasses a broad range of professional approaches targeted at addressing mental health concerns. They engage the services of a trained and qualified therapist who mediates the treatment interactions using evidence-based principles. The treatment approaches are grounded on research that may be based on actual evidence or anecdotal theories. It is important to note that each care setting requires a unique complement of psychotherapy approaches to ensure effective treatment (Wheeler, 2020). The present paper conducts a comparison of experiential and narrative family therapies as applied in family therapy.Family Therapy Research Paper
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Summarize the key points of both experiential family therapy and narrative family therapy.
Experiential and narrative family therapies are psychotherapy approaches applied in family therapy. The two (experiential and narrative family therapies) are targeted at bring about changes in relationships and interactions between family members with the intention of addressing mental, emotional, behavioral, and social issues. They both involve unique philosophies and theories. Psychotherapists who apply them must receive professional training and certification before being permitted to apply them on patients. In using the two approaches, a psychotherapist would be expected to establish professional relationships with the family members with a view to promoting their growth and development while eliminating maladaptive behaviors that stress the relationships within the family. In addition, the two therapies focus on generating open and honest conversations that can be humbling, dynamic, challenging, provocative and intense. Besides that, the two therapies are based on scientific evidence and routinely subjected to scrutiny with a view to improving outcomes and efficacy (Lebow, Chambers & Breunlin, 2019). As a result, the two therapies require that the psychotherapist be trained and certified, use conversation, and target concerns facing family members.
Compare experiential family therapy to narrative family therapy, noting the strengths and weakness of each.
Experiential and narrative family therapies are distinctive, with significant differences. Experiential family therapy is targeted at helping the family members to grow and develop, even as they gain individual independence and autonomy. This therapy approach adopts a spontaneous methodology that leverages the interactions between the members of the family attending the therapy. There is an expectation of open disclosures from authentic conversations between the family members even as a sense of belonging and interconnection is engendered. Interactions and empathy are used to direct and evaluate family dynamics with a view to achieving the desired change. The primary objective of this therapy approach is to help the family members attending therapy to encourage each other to develop their individual identities in the midst of positive relationships. In this way, the therapy approach turns the family from an unhealthy unit into a healthy unit where the whole family acts a s support system (Lebow, Chambers & Breunlin, 2019).Family Therapy Research Paper
Narrative family therapy is targeted at helping the family members to develop meaning for their experiences and interactions. This therapy approach focuses on encouraging the individual family members to apply their unique skills to understand their family problems and develop solutions. It concedes that every good or bad experience is valuable for the family, and can be assessed as a tool that advances growth and development. The approach evaluates the experiences of the family members and gives meaning to these experiences. In addition, the family members are guided on how to conduct self-evaluations and develop a better awareness of themselves. At the conclusion, each family member is made to understand that he or she is unique and has different experiences that influence personal growth and development (Christenson & Merritts, 2018).
Provide a description of a family that you think experiential family therapy would be appropriate, explain why, and justify your response.
The Smith family comprises of four family members (father, mother and two sons). The youngest son (Mike) is in college and stays at home. The oldest son (Tom) is an army veteran who stays at home, and struggles with alcoholism and PTSD. Tom spends much of his free time at home, drinking and watching television. He is unable to hold a steady job. Also, he has been accused of having an unreasonably short temper and engaging in petty theft to feed his alcoholism. Tom’s antisocial behavior is placing a strain on the family relations with the father insisting that he wants Tom out of the house, while the mother and Mike insist that Tom needs help instead of being kicked out of the only home that he knows.
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Experiential family therapy is appropriate for the Smith family as it would help Tom and the other members of the family to achieve growth and development that helps with addressing the alcoholism and PTSD. This therapy approach is helpful in getting the family members to understanding and support each other while developing a sense of connection and belonging that encourages individuation as well as presenting support systems. In addition, it is helpful in improving the family functionality by ensuring that Tom receives the required treatment for the alcoholism and PTSD (Lebow, Chambers & Breunlin, 2019). Besides that, it helps the Smith family members to be responsible for their personal actions, experience success as a unit/team, identify the hindrances to the achievement of personal goals, and improving self-esteem. Furthermore, it encourages the family members to engage in productive and healthy activities to divert Tom’s attention from the alcoholism that has been identified as a maladaptive behavior (Thompson, 2016).Family Therapy Research Paper
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References
Christenson, J. & Merritts, A. (Eds.) (2018). Family therapy with adolescents in residential treatment. Springer International Publishing AG.
Lebow, J., Chambers, A., & Breunlin, D. (2019). Encyclopedia of couple and family therapy. Springer International Publishing.
Thompson, R. (2016). Counseling techniques: improving relationships with others, ourselves, our families, and our environments (3rd ed.). Routledge.
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2020). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: a how-to-guide for evidence-based practice (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company, LLC. Family Therapy Research Paper