FAMILY THERAPY

Family Therapy



Family Therapy

Introduction

A family with two young children, Sean age 5 and Alexandra, age 3, seeks therapy after noticing new and different behaviors by Sean.

Mom and Dad notice that lately he has shown a tendency to become angry with his little sister and to act out his frustrations by yelling, hitting, and sometimes biting. Sean's schoolteacher reports that Sean acts very shy around his classmates except when he becomes bothered or frustrated - then he may hit the other child.

Genogram of the Family

[See Appendix]

Primary Areas of Concern

In this case it can be seen that Sean has tendency to become angry with his little sister.

Stressors

There are different Stressors in this family like:

Dad and Mom both state that they are tired and stressed and dislike the arguing that is taking place between them. Mom has started to feel guilty about her time away from the family and Dad is growing impatient with Sean. Since Mom perceives Dad as being too rough, she tries to be more nurturing with Sean, but this causes more conflict with her husband, who thinks Sean is being babied.

Sean's behaviors started about 4 months ago when he began kindergarten.

External stressors

Sean used to spend every day with his mom and little sister. Once he started school, mom decided to go back to work and put Alexandra into daycare.

Over the course of therapy, Mom and Dad realize that the family's stress is related to mom returning to work, Sean beginning school, and Alexandra going to daycare.

Family's strengths

Appreciation: It has been seen it is a strong family: In Strong families appreciate the uniqueness and contributions of each family member, expressing feelings of appreciation in words and actions. In this family, family members tell each other they are special. In the hurry of daily responsibilities, we often forget the importance of letting people know how much they are appreciated. It's so easy to take each other for granted, especially in families.

Commitment: Commitment is a positive quality that constantly appears in this family. They share the kinds of experiences that make the family more attractive than other groups. It has been seen that this family was committed to helping and promoting the happiness of each other.

Time together is central to strong families.

And I found out that in this family they spend most of the time with each other. Designate specific times when the family will be together, then set a good example by arranging their own plans to preserve family time. Take turns having family members suggest things to do together. They can be as simple as reading to each other or going to the zoo and as adventurous as a canoe trip or volunteering to work together at a homeless shelter.

In this case I have set up different goals. I try to meet family members individually or the entire family base on the requirement. This will depend on the goals determined for treatment. A lot can be gained by meeting with the entire family for a few ...