Clinical Assessment - Family HX collecting and conceptualization Flashcards
Best way to collective a hx to conceptualize what’s happening in the present for the client>
Ask the client
Family Life Chronology
Satir - Humanistic and Experiential
Family Life Chronology - what it is
Key family events to understand clients larger context, such as births, deaths, divorce, meaningful transitions, illnesses and even natural disasters
Family Life Chronology - what it provides
big picture to understand the etiology events induced positively and negatively
Family Life Chronology - Assessment
Assess for strengths and resources; “How did you do it? People you used to get through?”
Genogram - Bowen
graphic of things passed down; traits and qualities of individuals and family relationships
Genogram - Bowen
Trace intergenerational transmission of strengths, patterns and etiology
Attachment Patterns - framework
Experiential/Psychodynamic framework
Attachment Patterns
Attachment patterns refer to the ways individuals relate to others based on their early experiences with caregivers. These patterns influence emotional regulation, relationships, and self-perception throughout life.
Attachment Patterns - Why they matter in collecting family history
Explains Relational Patterns – Helps understand how early experiences with caregivers shape current relationship dynamics.
✔ Identifies Unresolved Trauma – Family history can reveal patterns of neglect, instability, or trauma that influence present-day struggles.
✔ Informs Treatment Approach – Knowing a client’s attachment style helps tailor interventions (e.g., emotion-focused work for anxious clients, trust-building for avoidant clients).
✔ Links Past to Present – Helps clients see how childhood experiences influence their beliefs and behaviors today, allowing for healing and change.
Attachment Patterns - assessment questions
“How did your caregivers respond to your needs as a child?”
“What messages about relationships did you learn growing up?”
“Do you notice any patterns in how you connect with others today?”
Narrative Therapy - dominate social discourse
These are widely accepted beliefs, values, and narratives that shape how people understand themselves, others, and society. These are the mainstream ideas that are reinforced through culture, media, institutions, and social norms.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative Therapy views an individual’s story as deeply shaped by family, society, and community influences. The way people understand themselves often comes from the stories they have inherited—whether from their family history, cultural norms, or societal expectations.
Structural therapy
Present day focused without history.
Structural Therapy - family map
visual representation of family relationships, hierarchies, and interaction patterns. It helps therapists understand how the family is structured, including roles, boundaries, and subsystems (e.g., parental, sibling, extended family).
Structural Therapy - family map considerations
It does consider past influences on current dynamics. For example:
If a parent had a rigid upbringing, they may enforce strict rules in their own household.
If a past trauma (e.g., divorce, loss, immigration) shaped family relationships, the family map might reflect how those dynamics still affect the present.
Examples of Dominant Social Discourses:
Success = Wealth & Productivity → Society often values financial success over well-being.
Mental Health Stigma → Some cultures see therapy as a sign of weakness.
Gender Roles → Messages like “Men should be strong” or “Women should be nurturing.”
Family Expectations → “You must get married and have kids to be happy.”
