Marriage and Family Therapy

Contents

Introduction3

Theories and Conceptual Principles3

Case History4

Proposed Interventions8

Goals of Therapy8

Circumplex Model of Marriage and Family Therapy Paper9

Strategic Therapy12

Narrative Therapy14

Conclusions17

References18

Marriage and Family Therapy

Introduction

Family is the basic social unit. Family represents people living together by ties of marriage, blood or adaptation, thus representing a single household. According to sociology, the family has the primary function of reproducing society; biologically, socially, or both. There are various structures of a family based on the relationship shared between the parent and the children.

Life and people are always changing, but the main values and bases of the concept of family should always remain present. To many people, the definition of the word family is a unity among a group of people who care and tend to each other's needs, while forming an unbreakable bond. Therefore, family values are important and should be cherished and nurtured.

Theories and Conceptual Principles

Experiential Family Therapy

Experiential Family Therapy is defined as, “Experiential family therapy is founded on the premise that the root cause of family problems is emotional suppression” (Nichols & Schwartz, 2006, p. 200). Experiential therapy is creative and spontaneous; this allows the therapist freedom to be a real person. They are not restricted to a specific theory or steps that they must follow.

Individual self-expression is the basic commitment in experiential therapy. Allowing a person to openly express and talk about their emotions will allow the family to be more functional and close. “Whitaker thought that families come to treatment because they're unable to be close, and therefore unable to individuate. Through helping the family members, recover their own potential for experiencing; he believed that he was also helping them recover their ability to care for one another” (Nichols & Schwartz, 2006, p. 203). Therapists allow a warm and supportive environment to help family members to drop their defenses and become open with each other. To understand this theory clearly, I will be sharing case in this paper. The case is about a lady, Theresa Cross who was born in Sacramento.

Case History

Theresa Cross was born in Sacramento, California on March 12, 1946. She was the youngest child in her family. Bill and Clara Tapp are from their mother's previous marriage. Rosemary and Theresa were the daughters of Jim and Swannie Cross. Both Jim and Swannie gave preference to boys and Jim was rather disappointed that he only had daughters. Jim wanted a son to carry on his name. He charged Clara $60.00 a month for room and board in their home. Clara was also made to care for her two younger half-sisters while their mother worked. “Sometimes she was forced to stay home from school for weeks at a time” (McDougal, 1995). Theresa was her mother's favorite and Theresa fought Rosemary for the attention of their mother. Swannie was a strict mother and made her daughters do all the housekeeping. She never allowed her daughters to leave their own yard. Swannie let her son do pretty much whatever he wanted. She often made excuses for Bill when he ...