Family Therapies Overview - PMHNP 101

Introduction

• Focus on family therapies:
  • Family Systems Therapy (Systemic Family Therapy)
  • Structural Family Therapy
  • Experiential Therapy
  • Strategic Therapy
  • Solution-Focused Therapy

Family Systems Therapy

• Concepts:

  • System: Unit based on feedback, particularly the family.
  • Family Systems: Understanding members requires understanding the whole system.
  • Family Rules: Overt or covert, with boundaries protecting functional integrities.

• Key Elements:

  • Self-Differentiation:
    • Ability to separate thoughts and feelings. Higher differentiation leads to better emotional control.
  • Triangles & Triangulation:
    • Formed to reduce stress, involves a third person in communication.

• Goals:

  • Increase family awareness of individual roles and issues.
  • Enhance self-differentiation.

Structural Family Therapy

• Focus:

  • Interaction patterns and family structure.
  • Change family structure to alleviate issues.

• Key Concepts:

  • Family Structure & Hierarchies:
    • Invisible demands organizing interactions. Includes subsystems like marital, parental, sibling.
  • Structured Mapping/Genogram:
    • Visual representation of family dynamics.

• Goals:

  • Modify present interactions, not past exploration.
  • Reorganize family around symptoms rather than focusing on symptom relief.

Experiential Therapy

• Focus:

  • Personal experience over external reality.
  • Authenticity, freedom of choice, and human validation.

• Goals:

  • Develop authentic communication.
  • Enhance self-worth and overall growth.

Strategic Therapy

• Application:

  • Focuses on individual and family dynamics.

• Techniques:

  • Directives (straightforward/paradoxical):
    • Tasks assigned to change behaviors or highlight issues.
  • Reframing Belief Systems:
    • Relabeling behaviors positively.

• Target Audience:

  • Particularly effective for families with children/adolescents.

Solution-Focused Therapy

• Goal:

  • Resolve issues through cognitive problem-solving, personal resources, and strengths.

• Techniques:

  • Miracle Questions:
    • Envisioning problem-free scenarios.
  • Exception-Finding Questions:
    • Identifying times when problems didn't exist.
  • Scaling Questions:
    • Rating feelings or problems on a scale to measure progress.

Conclusion

• Engage with these therapies to enhance family dynamics and address specific issues effectively.
• Techniques vary but focus on present challenges and strengths.