Couples and Families Flashcards
Accepting Influence
Being able to manage you internal conflict before you can manage your external conflict.
Being open to a partner’s ideas.
Allowing each member to tell their story themselves
Having each partner self disclose their feelings
Bids
When you try to reach out to your partner during an arguement.
For example, “I’m sorry for hurting you, how can we work together to move past this?”
Boundaries
Rules for managing physical and psychological distance between family members, for defining the regulation of closeness, distance, hierarchy, and family roles
Enmeshed
Relationships with no limits, no boundaries
Case Conceptualizations
Knowing where to focus your attention while listening.
Viewing the situation in new and different ways.
Clinical Documents
A way for therapists to leave a trace of their work so that they can get paid through third-party payers (Insurance) and avoiding lawsuits (the state lets you practice).
Couple Boundaries
Rules that are highly complex and difficult to track.
Four Horsemen: Criticism
Complaint or Blaming that is attacking your partner’s personality or character.
Four Horsemen: Defensiveness
Counterattacks people use to defend their innocence or to avoid taking responsibility for the problem.
Four Horsemen: Contempt
Feeling superior to your partner. Involves rolling of the eyes, sarcasm, name-calling, beligerence, or mocking
Four Horsemen: Stonewalling
When the listeners withdraw from the conversation, offering no physical or verbal cues that they’re affected by what they hear.
Confidentiality
both a legal and ethical requirement for psychotherapists, that they cannot share what clients tell them.
Documentation
One treatment plan for an entire family.
Keeping records and files for individual or all family members
Dreams/Longing within conflict
Communicating with your significant other of how you long for something rather than criticizing them for what they are doing wrong.
