Group & Family Work Flashcards
Group Work
Group = agent of change
Individual concerns should be directed to the group for possible solutions as groups is the vehicle for growth and change
Confidentiality CANNOT be guaranteed; should still be initial goal of group process
Contradictions for Group
Client in crisis
Suicidal client
Compulsive need for attention
Actively psychotic
Paranoid
Open vs. Closed
Open group = members can join anytime
Closed group = all members begin group at same time
Group Process
Beginning: identifies purpose and roles; organize plan
- members likely to remain distant or removed until relationships develop
Middle: almost all work occurs here; tasks worked on as group
- leaders less involved
End: review accomplishments
- feelings associated with termination are addressed
Family Work
Family is treated as unified whole - system of interacting parts
Family is unit of attention for diagnosis
Social roles and interpersonal action are the focus of treatment
Real behaviors and communication that affect current life situations are addressed
Clinical Steps in Family Work
Establish a contract
Examine alliances
Identify where power resides
Relationship of each family member to problem
Assess influence of family history
Ascertaining communication patterns
Identify regulations of patterns of interaction
Determine family homeostasis
Examine flexibility in structure
Explore sources of external stress and support
Instrumental vs. Affective Functions
Instrumental - provision of physical resources
Affective - provision of emotional support
Strategic Family Therapy
Social worker initiates what happens during therapy, designs specific approach for each persons presenting problem, and takes responsibility for directly influencing people
Built on communication theory
Active, brief, directive, and task-centered
Interest in creating change in behavior
Families demonstrate flexibility to adjust and develop
Strategic Techniques
Pretend technique - encourage family members to “pretend”; voluntary control of behavior
First-order changes - superficial changes that do not change structure of system
Second-order changes - changes to interaction so the system is reorganized more effectively
Relabeling - changing label attached to person or problem from (-) to (+) to change perspective
Paradoxical directive - instruct client to engage in symptomatic behavior so client can observe and learn control
Structural Family Therapy
Stresses importance of family organization for the functioning of the system and wellbeing of members
Social worker “joins” (engages) the family in an effort to restructure it by observing and manipulating interactions
- Interpersonal Boundaries
- Boundaries with outside world
*Hierarchical organization maintained by generational boundaries
[differentiation in roles: child, parent, grandparent]
Bowenian Family Therapy
Interest in improving the inter-generational transmission process
Approach is consistent whether working with individual, couple, or entire family
Bowens 8 Theoretical Constructs
*Differentiation
Emotional Fusion
Multigenerational Transmission - connection to past generations; natural process
Emotional Triangle - network of 3 person relationship
Nuclear Family
Family Projection Process - parents transmit emotional problems to children
Sibling Position
Societal Regression
Differentiation
Core concept to Bowenian Family Therapy
The more differentiated, the more a client can be an individual while in emotional contact with the family
Allows client to think through situation without being drawn to act by either internal or external emotional pressures
Emotional Fusion
Bowen Theoretical Construct
Tendency for family members to share emotional responses
Result of poor interpersonal boundaries
Little room for autonomy; viewed as abandonment
Behavior Modification
Address and modify dysfunctional behavior to change ways in which individuals behave with another
