Clinical Journal

practice journal: Apply Bowen family system theory

1. Answer the following prompts.
2. Consider Bowen’s notion that people seek out partners with identical levels of differentiation of self. Do you think this is true? Why might people marry partners at similar levels of differentiation? According to Bowen, why would a mismatch fail?
3. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Bowen family systems therapy. For example, Bowen’s approach is thought to be long on theory but short on specific techniques to treat families. What might be considered the major contributions of this approach to the field of family therapy? How might a lack of technique be a good thing? Consider theoretical adequacy, specificity of constructs, strategies, and techniques, the role of the therapist, and types of client problems best suited for this approach. What is lost and what is gained by an approach that de-emphasizes work with the whole nuclear family and doesn’t work with family interactions and dialogue?
4. Clinical Practice Journal entries should be between 400-600 words
   practice journals 2: Apply Strategic Family Therapy
   Submit a clinical practice journal entry answering the following prompt:
5. Strategic therapy has pioneered the team approach to therapy, in which a team of therapists observe treatment sessions behind one-way mirrors and sometimes react as well. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using the team approach to family therapy.
   Clinical Practice Journal entries should be between 400 and 600 words in length.

practice journals 3: Applying Structural family therapy
In SFT, Structural family therapy mapping is used to diagram problems in families. Consider the following case examples. Choose ONE to write about, and complete the following: (1) diagram the family’s current structure; (2) diagram the ideal family structure at the termination of successful therapy. You will upload the diagrams as part of this clinical response journal. Please write 400- 600 words giving the rationale and structural therapy techniques one would use to accomplish the goals.

1. Scapegoating. Brian (he/him) and Susie (she/her) are unable to resolve conflicts with each other. They divert their focus of concern onto their child; instead of worrying about each other, they worry about the child. This reduces the strain on Brian and Susie; however, it victimizes the child and is therefore dysfunctional.
2. Cross-generational coalition. Amy (she/they) and Tan (they/them) have been married for 10 years. They are unable to resolve their conflicts, so they continue to argue through the children. Tan says Amy is too permissive; Amy says Tan is too strict. Tan withdraws, Amy criticizes, and Tan withdraws further. An enmeshed relationship is perpetuated between Amy and their child, whereby Amy responds to the child’s needs with excessive concern and devotion. Tan remains disengaged, not responding even when a response is necessary. Both Tan and Amy are critical of each other’s ways, but both perpetuate the other’s behavior with their own.
3. Failure to accept a stepparent. When divorced or widowed spouses remarry, structural readjustment must occur or the stepfamily will experience transitional conflicts. One such conflict occurs when a mother remarries. A mother and her new husband fail to establish a clear boundary separating the couple from her children. In addition, mother and children fail to allow stepfather to participate as an equal partner in the new parental subsystem. Mother and children insist on maintaining their familiar patterns, without adjusting to the modifications required to absorb the stepfather. He becomes frustrated and angry, resulting in chronic arguing between the parents and abuse of the children.
   practice journals 4: Applying Solution Focused Therapy

Submit a clinical practice journal entry answering the following prompts:

1. What types of clients and client problems are best suited for solution-focused therapy? Is this approach effective only with high-functioning clients, or can it be used effectively to treat more serious problems (e.g., substance abuse, sexual abuse, personality disorders, or severe mental illness)?
2. To what extent does solution-oriented therapy ignore people’s pain (as some critics of the approach suggest), and to what extent does it facilitate clients’ positive experiences, which in turn empower them to change what is painful in their lives?
3. What are some examples of how solution-focused techniques could be effectively incorporated into the practice of other models? What are some examples of where this attempt might be ill-advised?