Strategic Family Therapy: Part I Flashcards
Strategic Therapy grew out of the Communications Theory developed in the Gregory Bateson’s schizophrenia project which evolved into three distinct models. What are they?
- Mental Health Institute (MRI) - Brief Therapy
- Jay Haley & Cloe Madane’s - Strategic Therapy
- Milan Systemic/Strategic Therapy
Class 7 notes P. 1
Nichol’s P. 99
Who established the Mental Health Institute?
Don Jackson
Class 7 notes P. 2
Who inspired Strategic Therapy and where?
Gregory Bateson and Milton Erickson at the Mental Research Institute.
Class 7 notes P. 1
Nichol’s P. 99
What do systemic and strategic therapies have in common with regard to the treatment approach of MRI?
They are manualized treatments for working with defiant, conduct-disordered substance abusing youth and their families.
Class 7 notes P. 1
Gregory Bateson received a Rockefeller Foundation grant to study paradox in communication. What 4 people did he recruit to help him?
Jay Haley, John Weakland, Don Jackson and William Fry
Class 7 notes P. 2
Nichol’s P. 99-100
Watzlawick, Beavin and Jackson developed a calculus of human communication which stated a series of axioms. What is the first axiom?
People are always communicating.
Nichol’s P. 101
What is Watzlawick, Beavin and Jackson’s second axiom in the calculus of human communication?
All messages have a report and command function.
Nichol’s P. 102
Explain the report and command function related to the second function of the calculus of human communication.
The report (or content) or a message conveys information, while the command is a statement about the definition of the relationship. Nichol's P. 102
Jackson used the term “family rules” as what?
As a description of regularity, not regulation.
Nichol’s P. 102
According to Strategic Family Therapy, the regulatory mechanisms that helps the system maintain hemostasis is referred to as what?
Feedback
Class 7 notes P. 13
Nichol’s P. 102
What is the purpose of Negative Feedback?
It preserves and protects the status quo (returns the system back to homeostasis). It resists disruption to maintain a steady state.
Class 7 notes P. 13 & 14
Nichol’s P. 102-
What is the vehicle called that allows a family resists change and maintains homeostasis?
A negative feedback loop.
It returns the system back to homeostasis.
Class 7 notes P. 13
Nichol’s P. 102
What is Positive Feedback?
The feedback loop that is caused when the response to a family member’s problematic behavior exacerbates the problem. It deviates from homeostasis - accommodates change.
Class 7 notes P. 14
Nichol’s P. 102-
What is a feedback loop?
Patterns of communications linked together in additive chains of stimulus and response.
Nichol’s P. 102
Describe a “first order change”.
When only a specific behavior within a system changes. It is superficial and does not change the inherent structure of the client system.
Nichol’s P. 102
Class 7 notes P. 8
What is a “second order change”?
When the rules of the system change. They prompt the way people interact and in a person’s perspective and assumptions.
Nichol’s P. 102
Class 7 notes P. 8
What purpose does reframing serve?
It is used to help clients re-conseptualize certain behavior and frame it in positive terms.
Nichol’s P. 102
Class 7 notes P. 15
What is the MRI approach to problems?
- identify the feedback loops that maintain problems
- determine the rules that support those interactions
- find a way to change the rules in order to interrupt the problem-maintaining behavior
Nichol’s P. 102
What are the goals of MRI assessment?
- identify a resolvable complaint
- identify attempted solutions that maintain teh complaint
- understand the clients’ unique language for describing the problem
Nichol’s P. 10
What is the MRI Six Stage Treatment Approach?
- Introduce client system to the treatment process
- Seek to develop a definition of the problem
- Seek to understand teh behavior)s) maintaining the problem
- Establish treatment goals
- Select and make behavior interventions
- Termination
Nichol’s P. 106
Class 7 notes P. 5
Describe Marital Quid Pro Quo
A marriage whereby each partner gives something in order to receive something in return.
Class 7 notes P. 12
Nichol’s P 112
What are some of the valuable aspects of Strategic Therapy?
- a clear therapeutic goal
-anticipation how a family might react to intervention
-understanding and tracking sequences of interaction
-creative use of directives
Nichol’s P 116
Explain the concept of “more of the same”.
In dealing with stress a client system might “do more of the same” which leads to “more of the same. A potential solution - do something different.
Class notes P. 7-8
How does the Strategic approach to therapy view the cause of change?
It does not assume that an understanding of oneself leads to change. It can be a negative intervention and since many clients change without insight and some do not like interpretation.
Haley P. 1-2
What makes Strategic Therapy different from traditional therapy?
The therapist designs a therapy ( a different intervention) for each individual case.
Haley P.2
What does Strategic Theory regarding the cause of change?
Action causes change, conversation does not unless there are directives in the conversation.
Haley P. 1 & 6
What are the 2 types of Directives in Strategic Therapy?
Straightforward and indirect
Haley P. 8
What does a straightforward directive include?
Giving advice, coaching, setting up ordeals, and exact penance.
Haley P. 8
Describe straightforward directive of an ordeal?
The therapist directs someone to do something that is harder than the symptom, whereupon they give up the symptom.
Haley P. 8
Describe straightforward directive of penance.
Giving someone a penance that is helpful to others.
Haley P. 8-9
What are some examples of an indirect directive?
Restraining people from changing, advising them to remain the same, imposing a paradox, metaphoric communication, absurd tasks, and doing nothing to cause frustration.
Haley P. 9
From an MRI perspective, psychopathology is rooted in what?
Psychopathology is rooted in dysfunctional relationship issues that manifest themselves in faulty communications.
Class notes P. 3
How long is Strategic Family Therapy intended to last and what does it focus on?
Strategic Family Therapy is intended to be short team and is focused on resolving the identified problem that the client system presents with.
Class notes P. 3
What period of time in the clients life was the MRI group focused on?
The present - the here and now.
Class notes P. 4
What is the focus the MRI group in terms of conceptualizing a problem?
What is happening and not “why” something is happening.
Class notes P. 4
How did the MRI group recast human problems?
As behavioral, interactional and situational
Class notes P. 4
Did the MRI group deny that intra-psychic mechanisms influence on individual functioning?
No - instead they gave greater credence to the social context and the interchange between people.
Class notes P. 4
What must a client to once the therapist understand what the problem is as well as the attempted solutions?
Be convinced to follow teh therapist’s strategy and directives (requires trust).
Class notes P. 5
How does the MRI group characterize problems?
Persistent failed attempts to change a distressing situation, difficulty or challenge.
Class notes P. 6
In terms of the MRI groups Interactional View, how are problems maintained and how did they attempt to resolve the problem?
Problems are maintained by ongoing behaviors and client interactions. They sought to evaluate teh interactive steps that contribute to the problem.
Class notes P. 7
How did the MRI group view an attempted solution to the problem.
A “solution” may itself be the problem.
Class notes P. 7
What is a potential solution to a problem?
Do something different?
Class notes P. 8
What does Metacommunication include?
Non-verbal cues that accompany the content. (I love you with a scowl)
Class notes P. 9
Describe the Redundancy Principle
Instead of using the full range of possible behaviors, family member settle on certain rules or redundant patterns.
Class notes P. 10
Describe “Punctuation”
Each person punctuates the interaction in a way that it reads like they believe it should.
Class notes P. 11
Symmetrical Relationships are based on what?
Evenly distributed abilities and roles in teh system - Equality.
Class notes P. 11
How are Complimentary Relations described?
On person assumes a position and the other assumes the opposite position - results in a hierarchy - Inequality.
Class notes P. 11
Jackson adapted the Marital Quid pro Quo concept. Describe it?
Each partner gives something in order to receive something in return.
Class notes P. 12
What is relabeling?
An attempt to alter the meaning of a situation by altering its conceptual and/or emotional context in a way that the entire situation is perceived differently.
Class notes P. 16
What might a MRI therapist do to offset the “dangers of improvement” and to discouragement?
“Go Slow”
Class notes P. 16
