Fluent Essays

Part 1   Week 2: Family Therapy Journey  Submit Assignment Due Mar 28 by 11:59pm Points 20 Submitting a file upload Imagine that you are about to embark on a family therapy journey with a family of a cultural background that differs from your own, be it race, ethnicity, religion, or socioeconomic status.  The readings have challenged you to find out as much as you can about the family’s background so that you are equipped with the information needed to form an effective working relationship with this family.  Include answers to the following questions to guide the flow of your paper. Your paper should be 2-3 pages in length.  Please use APA format and cite the references that you find while researching the family’s background.   What family did you choose? How is this family different from your own?  For example, how are their values and beliefs different? What rules do this family follow and how are these rules different from the rules that you and your family follow? What family roles exist? Are there any similarities that exist between you and this family? What information about the family will you need to process through your “cultural filter” in order to be most effective when working with the family?     What aspects of working with this family do you find most challenging? How do you intend to overcome these challenges? What aspects of working with this family do you believe may be comfortable for you? What are the family’s issues? On which “level”, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem does the family issue need to be addressed? Is the family an “open” or “closed” system? What interventions would you use with this family? What factors did you consider when choosing a particular intervention? What do you believe the family would most appreciate from you as a counselor and why? What do you believe the family would least appreciate from you as a counselor and why? Rubric Weekly Application Assignment RubricWeekly Application Assignment RubricCriteriaRatingsPtsThis criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAssignment Response4 ptsClearly & effectively responds to assignment.3 ptsResponse to assignment generally adequate & thorough.2 ptsMinimally responds to the assignment.1 ptsDoes not respond well to assignment.4 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMain Idea4 ptsMain idea (Application assignment) very clearly stated & topic is effectively limited.3 ptsMain idea clear & topic is limited.2 ptsMain idea clear or implicit & topic is partially limited.1 ptsMain idea unclear & topic only partially limited.4 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSupport4 ptsApplication assignment supported by a variety of relevant facts, examples, & illustrations from experience, references to related readings, etc.3 ptsApplication assignment is well-supported in body of paper by facts, examples, illustrations though support may not be as vivid as the “A” essay.2 ptsApplication assignment generally supported in body of paper by facts, examples, details. No more than one paragraph with inadequate support.1 ptsApplication assignment supported in body of paper by few facts, examples, details. More than one paragraph with inadequate support.4 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSpelling and Grammar4 ptsFew, if any, minor errors in sentence construction, usage, grammar, or mechanics.3 ptsThere may be a few minor or major errors in sentence construction, usage, grammar, or mechanics.2 ptsThere are some common errors (major and minor) in sentence construction and mechanics but the writer generally demonstrates a correct sense of syntax.1 ptsThere are numerous minor errors and some major errors. Sentence construction is below mastery and may display a pattern of errors in usage and mechanics.4 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeReferences4 ptsSupportive references material is incorporated logically & insightfully. Supportive references are documented accurately.3 ptsSupportive reference material incorporated logically. Supportive references documented accurately.2 ptsSupportive reference material incorporated adequately & usually documented accurately.1 ptsSupportive references material incorporated but sometimes inappropriately or unclearly. Documentation is accurate only occasionally.4 pts Total Points: 20 Part 2 Week 2: Narrative Therapy and Models for Step Family Development With your understanding of narrative therapy and its usefulness with blended family, discuss how this intervention would be helpful with step families. Be specific with regards to key ideas and techniques from narrative therapy. Compare and contrast Papernow’s 7 stage model with Kerns five-stage model for stepfamily development (described in chapter 2). Discuss which one you find to be most beneficial and why.Copyright Information (bibliographic) Document Type: Book Chapter Title of book: Stepping In, Stepping Out: Creating Stepfamily Rhythm Author of book: Joshua M. Gold Chapter Title: Chapter 2 Developmental Schemas of Step Families Author of Chapter: Joshua M. Gold Year: 2016 Publisher: American Counseling Association Place of Publishing: United States of America The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research. If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of fair use that user may be liable for copyright infringement. Developmental Schemas of Stepfamilies In this chapter, I examine the social myths around stepfamily roles through the perspective of narrative theory. This therapeutic perspective represents a critical orientation to the concerns presented by stepfamily members within the counseling context (Portrie & Hill, 2005). Counselors have three paradigms through which to approach step­ family dynamics (Baxter, Braithwaite, & Nicholson, 1999; Stewart, 2007). One paradigm seeks to focus on stepfamily issues as unrelated episodes, in which differing family members play complementary roles (e.g., persecutor and victim). Issues include stepparenting, discipline, finances, living arrangements, relationships with nonresidential spouses, and the addition of a new child. By concentrating on the details of the latest conflict and the differing personalities involved, however, the clinician and family members are likely to lose sight of the larger picture. A second paradigm seeks to isolate the problem or im­ pediment to stepfamily success (e.g., the stepchild or stepparent) and labors through individual counseling to cure that one person. Such an approach is predicated on the tenets of individual counseling and is difficult to reconcile with a systemic orientation, which advocates focus on the relationships among individuals (Stewart, 2007). A third paradigm is a developmental orientation to understanding, intervening with, and facilitating the success of stepfamilies. However, limited work has taken the developmental matters of the blended family on its own terms (Baxter et al., 1999, p. 292). This chapter will briefly describe two differing developmental schemas and link the develop­ mental orientation with the practice of narrative therapy. 13 Stepping In, Stepping Out: Creating Stepfamily Rhythm A Developmental Orientation to Stepfamily Success Family development theory provides an approach to studying families that is useful in explainhi Im Darcy from core parenting and welcome to the Big Blend Theory. The more that we as collective adults can start to see ourselves as team members in a childs family, right? So we have to let go as adults of the them versus us. I separated from this person Im done with that yeah and I am responsible, I am family of this child who is family of this person and that makes me family still. With this person and the more that I can, that we, as much as possible I mean, theres some realities of conflict and dysfunction and things that make it more or less, although I feel like if people want to work hard enough at it they can find a way to find a common language to talk about their children because they are family with the children. So to some extent, theres the responsibility of the parents to kind of step up and talk with each other about, you know, whats happening in the overall rhythm of the childs life. The second thing is to remember that, as much as we feel like it impacts us that life is like this over here and then its like this over there, the person who is impacting the most is our child, right? Theyre the ones that have to go back and forth between different cultures and different norms and different expectations, different language. And I dont mean like Spanish versus English, I mean at this house we say, you know I need space, and at this house I say get away from me. And that, this theres different kind of like cultural norms that develop in each familys rhythm and the kids have to learn how to go back and forth from that and thats tricky. And every transition is tricky and even if both houses are really healthy and functioning really well, that transition back and forth can be tricky and children will often have more tantrums or meltdowns or say things like they “dont want to go” or those kind of things have been pre and post transition quite normally and we can often kind of misdiagnosed that if somethings going wrong at the other house when really its just about you know its its exhausting for kids to go back and forth. And theres some amount of empathy that we need to have for the kids in understanding, you know, if somethings happening at one house, that is not to the level of abuse, but distressing to some extent or making things difficult for the kids, so I kind of hold himself together trying their coping skills or whatever so tricky, but not abusive, understanding and kind of being empathic with them in a loving non-judgmental way of the other house, so you know, kid comes back and they eight pounds of sugar and theyre melting down and having a really hard time and saying “you know its you know really special that you get to have all those treats at Moms house and it must feel really good to do that and its really hard to come back and then not be able to have it thats pretty probably pretty hard for you to be able to go back and forth like that I totally get it.” Interviewer: sort of validate Darhi Im Darcy from core parenting and welcome to the big blend theory you can love more than one adult and thats one of the things that I try to help step-parents I mean that that word is really tricky that step-parent because essentially youre a mom. They are in a position of caring for, feeding, clothing, emotionally supporting, working through the tricky times, picking up from school, doing all of the things that a parent does, a step-parent does. So when you say, “I dont know my role” but step- parents’ role is the role of parent, and its just pure and simple as that. Interviewer: When something has to change… Darcy: Nothing has to change should change right? I mean so a healthy blended family is one in which the the two parents can come in and find a foundation together right so they start with that foundation just like a biological parents would start with their foundation, so you have your foundation and then the kids build relationships with each other and with you and those relationships are all part of a family and all individual relationships at the same time. Does that make sense? Interviewer: yeah Darcy: so while in you’er in your mind and understanding and hearts, as the parents, you understand were both parenting, we both need to be on the same page as far as you know our parenting style, in our methodology, and what is a consequence, and what are the boundaries, and what are the expectations in our home and we decide that together as a family, and that our expectations are, I always recommend that expectations are there for all the children, the amount of support that you give each child in being able to be successful, in meaning that expectation, is individualized to a child. Essentially high expectations, high support I want to set high expectations for my children and I want to give them enough support so that they can be successful which means I may have an expectation for all the kids in my house that your room has to be made before you leave the house in the morning. My two-year-old, my sixteen-year-old, doesnt matter, everyones expectation in the same. The two-year-old Im probably going to make it with them every single morning. The 16-year-old’s on their own they dont need the same level of support, but they may have the same expectation, so as we and obviously theres differences in that, and you know families work around what that means, but whether youre the step-parent or the biological parent, whether youre the stepchild or the biological child in this family, this is how our family works. In this family, this is how dinner works, this is how homework time is, this is how the rhythm of our of our family looks like, within that, both parents have the voice to be able to set boundaries and offer support to every child in the family. Interviewer: Thats great I I really like that everyone has the same expectations but the level of support is adjustable it seems like something like that would make it Week 2: Overview Developmental Schemas Source:  Stepfamily–© Chany1167 (Links to an external site.) So, now that you are able to define what makes a stepfamily a stepfamily, you have a level of understanding regarding the cultural diversity present in underrepresented stepfamilies and you are keenly aware of the myths that surround stepfamilies... how do you put it all together?  Thats the million dollar question!  Source:  © Akiradesigns | Dreamstime.com (Links to an external site.) In chapter 2, the myths surrounding social norms and roles are examined through a narrative lens. Narrative therapy is a method of therapy that separates the person from the problem and encourages people to rely on their own skill sets to minimize the problems that exist in their everyday lives.  Moreover, the textbook encourages the reader to view stepfamily success via a developmental perspective. Developmentalists focus on the complexity and process that occur within family systems.  Given the developmental nature of this chapter, stage theories are presented as a way to conceptualize and frame key areas in the stepfamily life. Finally, knowledge without proper utility is moot.  So with that, we will discuss planning for treatment and best practices with delivery of services.  Nine critical areas for positive development of the new stepfamily are presented.    Objectives By the end of this week, students will: · Understand the benefits of narrative therapy concepts to working with stepfamilies · Discuss the implications for treatment of underrepresented groups · Normalize the stepfamily dynamic  Week 2: Lecture Developmental Schemas Chapter 2 continues the discussion and begins to examine the social myths surrounding stepfamilies roles through narrative therapy (Gold, 2016).  Narrative therapy is a method of therapy that separates the person from the problem and encourages people to rely on their own skill sets to minimize the problems that exist in their everyday lives.  For example, the stories that produce our lives are those available to us in the varied cultural worlds that we inhabit.  These stories are crucial when considering the multifaceted dynamics of stepfamilies.  The author shares three (3) paradigms that counselors may utilize to conceptualize step family dynamics (Baxter, Brathwaite, & Nicholson, 1999; Stewart, 2007).  The initial paradigm focuses on unrelated incidents in a stepfamily where corresponding members interact and feed off one another.  An example of a challenge would be dealing with finances, housing arrangements, or disciplining children.  The counselor is always looking to manage the conflict by encouraging the family members to see the big picture.  The next paradigm focuses directly on the issue at hand that is causing challenges within the stepfamily.  The final paradigm builds on previous understandings of how stepfamilies work.  This chapter will briefly describe two differing developmental schemas and link the devel