chapter 2- Basic Techniques of Family Therapy From Symptom to System

Question 1

why might family members avoid coming to family therapy

Answer 1

they are fearful they might be to blame.

Question 2

what are the 2 goals of the first session

Answer 2

rapport building and understanding the problem

Question 3

why do we ask what they have tried in the past to address issues

Answer 3

to see what was effective and ineffective and why

Question 4

what kind of questions do BOWES therapists use

Answer 4

process questions

Question 5

what kind of questions do structural therapists use

Answer 5

circular questions

Question 6

what does it mean to push for change

Answer 6

a relentess pursuit of improvement

Question 7

what allows for a person to feel challenged in a way that is productive

Answer 7

the therapeutic alliance (confrontation is not seen as an attack)

Question 8

is the issue something maintained by a singular person or by the system

Answer 8

by the system, the issue is of the relationship, not the individual.

Question 9

what is a good way to help stuck clients

Answer 9

point out patterns that don’t work and then let them figure out a way to unstuck themselves.

Question 10

what 2 things need to occur in the early phase

Answer 10

refining the issue and finding a way to resolve it.

Question 11

durign the middle phase, is the therapist more or less interactive

Answer 11

less. they should be learning to interact more productively with each other.

Question 12

family therapy can make clients and therapists anxious. what 2 ways does a therapist suspend their own anxiety

Answer 12

(1) not taking responsibility for solving a family’s
problems, and (2) knowing where to look for the
constraints that are keeping them from doing so (remaining objective)

this keeps therapists calm, which can be modeled for clients so that they too don’t have to be so reactive.

Question 13

what is the first step when it comes to how the family system looks at their issues

Answer 13

moving it from a linear and medical view into an interactional viewpoint (how they interact with one another, rather than seeing a single person as the focal point for an issue) - the issue is the relationship, not the person.

Question 14

what is the opposite of linear cause and effect thinking

Answer 14

circular thinking

Question 15

define circular thinking

Answer 15

looking at things as a matter of patterns

Question 16

when do families normally get stuck

Answer 16

during life cycle stage transitions. We should be asking “why now?”

Question 17

define one down position regarding multiculturalism

Answer 17

have the client teach us about their culture rather than assume understanding

Question 18

regarding ethical behavior, what does it mean if we are compelled to not discussing something in supervision

Answer 18

that we have creatd an ethical blunder

Question 19

what are 5 red flags for unethical behavior

Answer 19

1- seeing the situation as special, the regular rules may not apply to this situation.
2- attraction of any kind.
3- changes in therapeutic frame - exclusive self-disclosure, more or longer sessions, unable to say no,
4- not following clinical norms
5- not able to discuss the matter in supervision (keeping secrets)

Question 20

what was the first state to have a marriage and family therapy license

Answer 20

california in 1964

Question 21

when it comes to working with couples that are violent with one another, what is the typical way of managing this situation

Answer 21

having them attend separate sessions so as to not provoke further violence/oppression.

Question 22

what are the 2 types of partner violence

Answer 22

patriarchal terrorism
and common couple violence

Question 23

defien partriarchical terrorism

Answer 23

exerting power over another which tends to escalate over time

Question 24

define common couple violence

Answer 24

does not follow a pattern of power and violence as seen in patriarchal terrorisms. instead, it responds to conflict and tends to be mutual, infrequent, and does not escalate.

Question 25

what kind of questioning for when a person is being highly emotional reactive

Answer 25

using direct, concrete questions to slow them down and make them think rather than be controlled by their emotions.

Question 26

what are linguistic avoidances

Answer 26

typically seen in violence that occurs in a system. This can be seen as a person not taking accountability for the violence they inflict on others (e.g. The pressure builds and I lose it - thus, blaming the violence on the pressures within, not the themselves)

Question 27

when it comes to violence, are both equally responsible for the occurrence

Answer 27

no. the perpetrator must take accountability for their actions.

Question 28

what are the 2 ways of treating someone that has gone through child sexual abuse

Answer 28

child protective approach and family systems approach (

Question 29

what is the issue of using the family systems approach to work with a child that has been through sexual abuse

Answer 29

makes the child seem unprotected as they are working dirctly with ther person tha tviolated them

Question 30

when it comes to any kind of violence, what is always the priority

Answer 30

safety

Question 31

what can a therapist provide for a client that has been through sexual abuse

Answer 31

resources with a support system to remove the sense of isolation and shame (group work)

Question 32

when is it best for a client to bring up their abuse

Answer 32

it has to be up to them.

Question 33

when workig with childrne privately that have been traumatized, how can we approach sharing with parents

Answer 33

discuss what they want to share and don’t want to share.

Question 34

what is is one critical thing that we need to convey to those that have been traumatized

Answer 34

that it wasn’t their fault

Question 35

what are the 2 major issues with managed care

Answer 35

more paperwork and lower reimbursement rates

Question 36

what is the most important part of having a successful fee for service private practice

Answer 36

our reputation (word of mouth adversistement)