Family Therapy Introduction

Question 1

What two developments, concerning individual family members, that forced therapist to recognize the family’s power to alter the course of treatment?

Answer 1

1. They noticed that often when a patient got better, someone else in the family got worse.
2. Patients improved in the hospital only to get worse when the got home (decompensated).

Question 2

How does group therapy differ from family therapy (4 reasons)?

Answer 2

1. Revealing self to strangers is different than exposing yourself to family.There is a loss of safety that group therapy provides
2. The stressful environment is brought to the consulting room.
3. In families, the power structure is hierarchical - someone has to be in charge.
4. The identified patient may feel isolated - the problem.

Question 3

Describe Homeostasis.

Answer 3

Whenever a family system is threatened or disturbed, it endeavors to maintain stability.
Ex: parents fight > child child exhibits symptomatic behavior to stop the fighting by uniting the parents concern and preserving a family equilibrium.

Question 4

What is the goal of the initial contact with a family seeking help?

Answer 4

1. Establish a connection with the caller
2. Listen to the caller’s description of the problem
3. Get an overview of the presenting problem
4. Identify all members of the household and others who might be involved.
5. Schedule a first interview with who should attend - when & where

Question 5

What important (salient) questions should be covered during the initial call?

Answer 5

A. How do you hear about me?
B. How can I help you?
C. What are the issues and problems?
D. Is your spouse aware you are searching for a therapist?
E. Other concerns - insurance/fees

Question 6

What is the goal of the first family interview?

Answer 6

To build an alliance and develop a hypothesis about what’s maintaining the presenting problem.

Question 7

In the middle phase of treatment, what are the four important attitudes in maintaining a therapeutic alliance?

Answer 7

Calmness, curiosity, empathy and respect.

Question 8

What are the goals of he middle phase?

Answer 8

• facilitate change guided by a treatment plan
• ensure the clients are assuming responsibility for their therapy
• assess for change regularly
• debrief regularly

Question 9

What question should a therapist ask when considering termination?

Answer 9

1. Have the presenting issues and problems been addressed?
2. Is the family/couple satisfied with the improvements
3. Is the family able to answer the following questions:
   * what red flags will suggest you are slipping back into old habits?
   * what will you do if this occurs?

Question 10

In the family assessment, what does exploring the presenting problem begin with?

Answer 10

Hearing each member account.

Question 11

What are the 2 steps in the Family assessment.

Answer 11

1. Exploring the presenting symptoms to help families move from helpless to awareness of the benefits of working together to solve problems.
2. Explore the family’s attempts to deal with the problem.

Question 12

What are the primary goals when treating a child that has been sexually abused?

Answer 12

1. Ensure that the abuse does not reoccur.

2. Reduce the long term effects of the trauma.

Question 13

Define Cybernetics.

It is the Greek term for what?

Answer 13

The study of feedback mechanisms in self-regulating systems.

It is the Greek term for “steersman”.

Question 14

What is the study of feedback mechanisms in self-regulating systems called?

Answer 14

Cybernetics

Question 15

What is the “Feedback Loop”?

Answer 15

A consistent behavior pattern over a long period of time.

The process by which a system gets the information necessary to maintain a steady course.

Question 16

What is a state of equilibrium in a system amount it’s various part called?

Answer 16

Homeostasis

Question 17

A consistent behavior pattern over a long period of time is indicative of what?

Answer 17

A feedback loop.

Question 18

What does Negative Feedback indicate?

Answer 18

That the system is straying off the mark and corrections are needed to get it back on course.

Question 19

Define Positive Feedback.

Answer 19

Information that reinforces the direction the system is taking.

Positive Feedback tells the system things are changing and it’s deviating from homeostasis.

It creates a Positive Feedback Loop that results in one of two options:

1. Return to homeostasis or
2. The creation of a new homeostasis

Question 20

Describe the Freudian concept of transference?

A. Therapist’s unconscious experiences that emerge during the analytic process

B. Client’s unconscious transfer of feelings, wishes, & reactions onto the therapist

C. The unconscious impediment experiences by the client

Answer 20

B. Client’s unconscious transfer of feelings, wishes, & reactions onto the therapist

Question 21

Describe the Freudian concept of countertransference?

A. Therapist’s unconscious experiences that emerge during the analytic process

B. Client’s unconscious transfer of feelings, wishes, & reactions onto the therapist

C. The unconscious impediment experiences by the client

Answer 21

A. Therapist’s unconscious experiences that emerge during the analytic process