Madanes

Question 1

family system

Answer 1

pattern of how everyone in the family relates to everyone else in the family –> maintain homeostasis in circularity of relationships among family members

Question 2

function of symptoms in SFT

Answer 2

all symptoms in the system serve a function and have a purpose, like Freud’s psychic determinism –> every family member benefits from symptom

– a child’s symptom could be:

1) distraction from more upsetting problem (e.g., marital conflict)
2) symbolic representation of parents’ problems (e.g., child who bullies peers comes from a home with domestic violence)

Question 3

family therapy steps

Answer 3

1) therapist presents self as unpowerful, a) expressing concern about clients’ potential for change, putting pressure on the family to prove you wrong by changing, and b) working from a one-down position where you don’t present yourself as an authority (i.e., coping model)
2) ensure every single family member is present in therapy otherwise, SFT will not work since every single person has a role in the symptom
3) find out techniques that have not worked in the past in therapy

Question 4

family therapy techniques: relabeling

Answer 4

putting a different label or name on the symptom; change the label placed on the symptom

e.g., child is not a bad kid, they are a good kid (reframing will explain the why or the meaning behind symptom)

Question 5

family therapy techniques: reframing

Answer 5

putting a positive connotation meaning on symptom

-goal: heightened awareness of symptom’s function –> harder to ignore symptom or keep the symptom unchanged and if the symptom continues, family members must take responsibility for their roles in symptoms
-e.g., child is selfless, sacrificing academics, so that the parents can avoid thinking about their marital discord –> child will feel resentful toward benefitting parents and the resistance of the reframing will lead to a reduction in symptoms

Question 6

family therapy techniques: prescriptions

Answer 6

assigning client to have the symptom/ problem, but always with a change in frequency, intensity, and timing (note: you never just assign client to continue as is!)

-e.g., client who cries entire session every single week –> assign to cry for 5 minutes and then stop
-if client resists _________ –> symptom reduction
-if client compies _________ –> demonstrates control over symptom –> harder to continue presenting self as powerless over it

Question 7

family therapy techniques: restraining

Answer 7

assign the client not to change and inhibit change by either a) declaring hopelessness in session if client is not showing growth or b) predicting or prescribing a relapse so that it does not feel as bad when they have it because they know to expect it and it is a part of the process of therapy

e.g. of predicting relapse –> you have not had a panic attack in a while, but just know that it is common if it reoccurs
e.g., of prescribing relapse –> you have not had a panic attack in a while, could you have one for me before our next session and we can talk about what that was like for you (then you process in therapy the helpful and not so helpful interventions)