Family Therapy (Case Study Assessment and Intervention) - Research Paper Example

? Family Therapy By Family Therapy The movie A Thousand Years of Good Prayers is an adaptation of the short story “A Thousand Years” by Yiyung Li. This movie is about Mr. Shi, an elderly man from Beijing, who is also a widower. He travels to Spokane, Washington, U.S., to visit and console his daughter, Yilan, who leads a prosperous life in one of the city’s suburbs and is recently divorced. Both the daughter and the father, who have not seen each other for 12 years, have secrets that they do not disclose to each other. When Yilan goes to work, Mr. Shi mostly sits in a nearby park. Here, he meets an Iranian immigrant, with whom he develops friendship. Overall, this movie focuses on the tension between Yilan and Mr. Shi, including the drama and conflict that develop out of their inability to understand each other (Lee, 2008). Family Composition This movie revolves around one major family. Mr. Shi and Yilan are the only family members. Mr. Shi is a widower, as his wife, the mother of Yilan, died. With regard to their age, Mr. Shi appears to be an elderly man. It can be estimated that he is aged between 50 and 60. On the other hand, Yilan is young, beautiful, and estimated to be aged between the mid-20s and early 30s. Both Mr. Shi and Yilan are Chinese from birth. However, Yilan has lived for a long time in the U.S and thus is an American citizen, as opposed to Mr. Shi who has Chinese citizenship and has lived in China for most of his life (See Appendix A). Types of Problems of the Family, and Strengths The family is faced with different challenges. Mr. Shi is interested in the life of his daughter, but Yilan shows less interest in her father and the efforts he is putting in to help her. Mr. Shi had travelled from China to the U.S in order to help her daughter sail through what he thought was the most difficult time of her life, after she went through a divorce. Mr. Shi aimed at implementing a plan for the rescue of Yilan’s marriage and the reconstruction of her life. However, Yilan is less interested in the plan and does not open up to Mr. Shi about important details of her life. Poor communication between Mr. Shi and Yilan is another major problem. There is a language barrier between Mr. Shi and Yilan. Yilan has lived in the U.S for a longer period and is fluent in English as compared to Mr. Shi who is less competent in English. Additionally, Yilan does not communicate freely with Mr. Shi, thus there is poor understanding between them. The loneliness of Yilan is another problem in the family. This affects her personality and interactions with her father. Yilan is also going through emotional strain, trying to cope with the divorce. Mr. Shi understands that his daughter is an abandoned wife who needs help. In the movie, when Mr. Shi arrives in the U.S., it is clear that Yilan is lonely. This is shown by her condo as well as her busy engaged life, with no time for intimate relationships. This feeling of loneliness contributes to Yilan locking out his father from her emotions (Lee, 2008). Despite these problems, a major strength can be seen. There is fatherly love in this family. This is evidenced in how Mr. Shi is concerned with the life of his daughter. Although Yilan is mature, her father feels obligated to help her deal with her problems. Mr. Shi seeks to find out about the personal life of Yilan in depth. Since Yilan will not tell him, Mr. Shi prowls around Yilan’s bedroom when she is at work, in order to discover her true story. This portrays Mr. Shi in a positive manner, as fatherly concern is paramount in a family despite the age of the children. Internal Family Environment There are only two family members in this movie, which are a father and his daughter. There are no other relatives living with Mr. Shi and Yilan. They have varying perceptions about gender roles. Having lived in the U.S. for 12 years, Yilan has undergone Americanization. Mr. Shi is not exposed to the American ideology or culture. Therefore, the perceptions of Mr. Shi and Yilan on gender vary. While Mr. Shi believes that it is his role as a father to protect his daughter, Yilan holds that at her age, she is fully independent and does not need any influence of her father. The interpersonal boundary between Mr. Shi and Yilan is restrictive, as they do not talk freely to each other about their feelings. External Family Environment There are links of the family in this movie with other people in the external environment. Yilan is a divorcee but is seeing someone else. The man is a co-worker and already married; therefore, this complicates the relationship. With regard to larger systems, Yilan is a professional employed as a librarian. She is connected to a work system where she interacts with different people including clients and workmates. On the other hand, Mr. Shi does not have an active profession, as he is a retired rocket scientist. However, when his daughter grows distant, Mr. Shi starts spending time at the nearby park with Madam, an Iranian woman. He connects with her more than he does with Yilan. In order to understand the internal and external family environment of Mr. Shi’s family, the representations of an ecomap and a genogram are used (See Appendix B). A genogram is a pictorial graph, which shows the structure and relationships of a family across generations (Green, n.d.). K. Geldard and D. Geldard (2008) noted that during therapy, drawing genograms help family members to share and disclose information about the family. On the other hand, an ecomap shows the ecological system which boundaries encompass a family (Calix, 2002). Areas of Family Intervention The family in this movie faces problems that make it less functional. Therefore, family intervention is essential in initiating change of undesirable behavior. This is paramount in ensuring the risks that the family is exposed to are reduced and the members lead an improved life. In order to identify the relevant areas of intervention for this family, the web was searched. The search phrase used was “types of family intervention.” The aim was to identify a variety of family intervention strategies and then determine ones that are best suited for this movie family. Findings from the search showed different types of family intervention. However, only a specific intervention will apply to this movie family. This includes family therapy covering counseling and mediation. Family therapy also comprises different strategies such as experiential and structural family therapy. Experiential family therapy aims at helping individual family members to experience self-actualization and develop levels of cooperation and intimacy within the family (Greenberg, Watson, & Lietae, 1998). The emphasis on an effective communication in this intervention aims at reducing the interpersonal distance between members. According to CRC Health Group (2011), the major advantage of experiential therapy is that the experiences and activities that form the core of the process provide opportunities for the therapist to observe patients in situations where the patients are not focused on the therapy itself. On the other hand, the structural family therapy emphasizes a structural change as the main goal of therapy. The therapist plays the role of change agent, thus initiating changes in individuals and in the overall family structure (Colapinto, 1982). Intervention Strategy The family based intervention strategy that would be the most appropriate for this movie family is structural family therapy. Although experiential family therapy is also relevant, structural family therapy is more suitable. This is based on a framework that brings order and meaning to relationships between family members. In this strategy, it is presumed that boundaries and coalitions comprise family structure abstractions (Colapinto, 1982). The therapist will focus not on the problem that this movie family faces, but on the attempts of the family to address the problem. Thus, the focus is on the dynamics of interaction in the family. In this movie family, there is the pursuer–distancer dynamic, where Mr. Shi is the pursuer and Yilan is the distancer. The application of structural therapy will comprise various techniques that will help the therapist to achieve positive results. There are two major categories of techniques used, including the joining and disequilibration techniques. A major joining technique is accommodation where the therapist adjusts to the family structure. Additionally, the technique of maintenance helps the therapist to be organized by the rules and processes of the family in order to retain their position in the family. Tracking is another joining technique where the therapist accommodates the speech content in the family in order to gain familiarity with specific family members (Colapinto, 1982). The therapist also employs the techniques for disequilibration in order to change the family system. In the enactment technique, the therapist will encourage Yilan and Shi to interact during a therapy session while he or she observes and modifies their interaction. It is clear that families and individuals are separated by interpersonal boundaries, which regulate contact with other individuals. In this movie family, the interpersonal boundary between Shi and Yilan is immense. Here, the therapist will employ the technique of boundary making. They will encourage the development of boundaries, which will shield the family members from any external contact. A rule might be established where Yilan will be advised to minimize contact with the workmate she is seeing, as well as her other colleagues. Similarly, Mr. Shi might be asked to minimize contact with Madam. This technique will help to reduce the outside intrusion (Nichols & Schwartz, 2004). However, the boundaries in this case will be clear and not restrictive, as a considerable external contact is equally important for Shi and Yilan. The therapist will seek an understanding of how the family views the problem, and will listen to the stories of both Shi and Yilan. Afterwards, the therapist will employ reframing where the views of both individuals are merged based on the understanding of the family structure. Here, the therapist develops a new and more constructive view of the problem and will effect unbalancing of the system. The counselor will take sides by supporting one individual. In this case, he or she might support Mr. Shi in order to unbalance and realign the system. However, for the sake of neutrality, the therapist will change sides with Shi and Yilan in turns on specific aspects. The final step that the intervener will take will be to challenge the unproductive assumptions which the individuals hold. This is important in structural family therapy as it gives the family members an alternative view of their situation. The role of structural family therapy is to change behavior by developing alternative interaction patterns, which will modify the family structure. Therefore, the therapist will join the family in order to offer intervention as an insider. He or she will identify areas of flexibility before activating the dormant structural alternatives. Restructuring helps the therapist to initiate transformation of the family structure (Nichols & Schwartz, 2004). He or she might also employ family sculpting where family members are asked to physically recreate their family into positions which reflect their interactions. Apart from helping the family members to identify the influence of their past attitudes and events on their present family, family sculpting also facilitates the individuals to find new meanings and pictures, which they could not find using verbal cues only (Hearn & Lawrence, 2003). Nonetheless, this is important in this case as it might help Shi and Yilan to understand their family dynamics. The Theoretical Rationale Underlying Structural Family Therapy The theoretical rationale underlying structural family therapy makes it one of the most suitable family interventions for the movie family. Structural family therapy relies on structural change and the role of the therapist as a agent of change. In this model, the family is conceptualized as a living open system, which comprises interdependent members and undergoes a transformation being evolutionary in nature. The family process is regulated by both homeostasis and change, and sometimes the family might fail to adjust to its changing environmental demands. This is suitable for families that face triangulations, intergenerational coalitions, lack of growth, conflict avoidance, and differentiation (Colapinto, 1982). Mr. Shi and Yilan belong to a family that has experienced several changes over the years, including the death of one family member, divorce of Yilan, and her separation from her father. This family is also characterized by lack of growth and differentiation, which make it dysfunctional. In this model, the problem behavior is considered only part of the lack of growth of the family. Diagnosing the problem involves the assessment of the perpetual and transactional structure which supports the symptom. In this case, therefore, Yilan will not be viewed as the cause of the family problem; rather, the structure of the family will be assessed as supporting the problem. This model is also largely based on modification of the family structure in order to achieve a therapeutic change. Changes in the family structure are initiated by positional changes, conflict resolution, increases and reductions in distances, and exploration of new alternative rules (Lappin, n.d.). Overall, the theoretical underpinnings of the family structural model are relevant to the movie family in this case, thus it can be effective if applied appropriately. Issues of Engagement or Joining With the Family The therapist is the main agent of change in structural family therapy. They are charged with ensuring the restructuralization of the family. This, therefore, calls for their increased participation in the family and is influenced by both time and depth. The therapist will face different issues while in the joining process. The major issue is acceptance into the family. Acceptance of the therapist into the family depends on different factors including how he or she executes the joining process. In addition, the role of the therapist during the joining process is paradoxical as he or she has to have the right equation of accommodation and challenge. The therapist acts as a strange body in the family organism, and thus must learn to adapt to the family culture. Therefore, the failure or inexperience of the therapist to appropriately employ the joining techniques of maintenance, mimesis, and tracking may lead to incompatibility with the family, hence rejection and failure of the joining process in therapy (Colapinto, 1982). The Process and Progress for Real and Fictional Families Structural family therapy is executed differently and results in different outcomes, as families in therapy are faced with diverse problems. Thus, the therapist will employ techniques in this intervention in a manner that suits a specific family. Overall, the process comprises a number of techniques which the therapist will follow at different stages. However, the joining process remains paramount, so the therapist will employ a set of joining techniques to form a therapeutic system. At this stage, the therapist ensures that the family accepts him or her so that he or she remains in the family system throughout the period of therapy, and provides for maintenance of a working relationship with the family. If the right techniques are used appropriately, a real family in therapy will progress well. Overall, the progress of this process in a real family will depend on different aspects including the techniques employed by the therapist, as well as the willingness and commitment of the family to change. On the other hand, in fictional families, the factors affecting the process may be presumed to be positive, thus a positive progress will be anticipated. References Calix, A. (2002). Is the ecomap a valid and reliable social work tool to measure social support? Retrieved from http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04072004-180134/unrestricted/Calix_thesis.pdf. Colapinto, J. (1982). Structural family therapy. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&ved=0CEUQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcolapinto.com%2Ffiles%2FSFT.doc&ei=1iJNUtXRCI7EswaI2YDwBw&usg=AFQjCNH6eI6lbfOtv00VeTWc4EJcw0wGrg&sig2=PSkW9Ox0Upd7GTWSQ713rg&bvm=bv.53537100,d.Yms CRC Health Group. (2011). Experiential therapy: What is it? Retrieved from http://www.crchealth.com/types-of-therapy/what-is-experiential-therapy/. Geldard, K., & Geldard, D. (2008). Overview of relationship counseling. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/24503_02_Geldard_&_Geldard_(Part_I).pdf. Green, C. (n.d.). Tracing family traits using a genogram. Retrieved from http://broadcast.lds.org/elearning/FHD/Community/en/Community/Cynthia%20Doxey%20Green/Tracing_Family_Traits_Using_a_Genogram/Genograms.pdf. Greenberg, L., Watson, J., & Lietae, G. (1998). Handbook of experiential psychotherapy. New York: Guilford Press. Hearn, J., & Lawrence, M. (2003). Family sculpting. Journal of Family Therapy, 7(2), 113–131. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j..1985.00670.x/pdf. Lappin, J. (n.d). Family therapy: A structural approach. Retrieved from http://www.minuchincenter.org/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/the_case_family_therapy.65165254.pdf. Lee, N. (2008). A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2007). The New York Times, 18 September. Retrieved from http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/09/19/movies/19pray.html?_r=0. Nichols, M., & Schwartz, R. (2004). Family therapy: Concepts and methods. Retrieved from https://moodle.umons.ac.be/pluginfile.php/40922/mod_resource/content/1/Minuchin%20-%20compl%C3%A9ment.pdf. Appendix A Genogram Appendix B Ecomap Read More