Experiential and Postmodern Approaches in Family Counseling - Literature review Example

TITLE by Name of author Name of class Name of Professor Name of school Location of school Date Introduction Family therapy also known as family counseling is a psychotherapy branch where social workers work with families and couples to cultivate growth in the relationship (AASW, 2005). According to Bateson, Jackson and Haley (2006), the family is a distinct social system with its own form of communication and composition and it is on this belief that family therapy is based on. Several factors can be attributed to these patterns of communication in the family structure, including values and parents beliefs, personalities exhibited by each family member and how the extended family affects the family (Hoffman 2004). These variables enable families develop distinctive personality which would positively affect each member of the family. Concepts supporting family therapy note that what, affects one family member will definitely affect the other members of the family (Hayes 2003). If, for instance, one family member is ill it is thought that it is a symptom of a problem affecting the family as a whole. Therefore, it is important to consider the whole family during the therapy sessions. Once the problem has been tackled, a change experienced by the member affects the whole family and each member as an individual (AASW, 2005). Family therapist who employ models of family systems usually take into account the whole family as they are of the opinion that, a problem experience by a single family member is a manifestation of transformation or disagreement in the family set (Gillis 2006). Approaches to Family Therapy There are different approaches to conducting family therapy sessions. Which type of approach to use depends heavily on the model that the therapist involved uses (Hoffman 2001). The emergence of family therapy lead the need look at human behavior in a different perspective. This viewpoint places responsibility to the problem itself and away from the individual. It also shifts the treatment from a single member to the whole family. The advancement of family therapy came from concepts that shifted how we viewed life in general and problems from individual to a more systematic approach (AASW, 2005). Several instrumental factors will help a therapist in deciding what approach to use. Amongst these factors are the group dynamic studies, family dynamics research, marriage counseling and practices in the social work field. Postmodern Approach to Family Therapy This system approach was created by Steve de Shazer and Kim Berg in 1982. Post-modern approaches concentrate on the people’s lives and are of the opinion that problems are manufactured in social and cultural contexts. The focus here is on people discovering unrecognized and hidden capabilities that are contained within individuals. One such approach is Solution-focused therapy. Since the emergence of solution-focused therapy, it has proved to be an effective intervention across the whole range of problem presentations (Iveson, 2002). Milton Erickson, a strong proponent of solution-focused therapy, strongly believed that it is individuals who had the power to find solution to their own problems. According to him, the main feature of this approach was to use whatever was available in the client’s context since any confidential feature in the client’s life could be the decisive part of the needed change. According to de Shazer, people are willing to change since they have experienced accomplishments and so they do not focus on them so much. In this approach the structure of the therapy is more concerned with creating the freedom for a particular type of dialogue between those involved and not on the sessions start, middle and conclusion bits (Postmodern therapy 2009). If observed while use, one would take note of the characteristic quiet and reflective session. Dialogue is takes a more meandering approach and the therapist does not allow himself to be in a situation where he act as the one who is familiar with the problem (Reichenberg and Seligman 2009). Only advice to the specific crisis may be given as one of the possible ideas by the social worker. The therapist understands that it is respectful to provide the client with very minimal information and show interest to what is in the clients’ mind and his responses. The social workers main role in the whole process is to initiate a given type of dialogue. Group members then expound on important subject matters in the session, bring up new ideas they have managed to grasp during their dialogue and answer to connotations materializing from the dialogue (Barker 2007). These can then be disregarded, negated or built up on freely by the family and social worker. Postmodern approaches to family therapy exhibit a uniting characteristic which is very important in today’s therapy family therapy practices. This unifying trait is essential since it is important to understand psychological problems in social relationships perspective. Another feature supporting the relevance of postmodern approaches is that present day postmodern family therapists find portraying differences part of making change. Thirdly, current trends in family therapy involve the family as a whole and not one affected individual. Postmodern approaches focus on working with groups, where the therapist’s role is to carry out interviews and another small group makes remarks on what they see (Gehart 2009). Strengths of Postmodern Approaches Postmodern approach has several strengths to explain why it is widely used today. It makes creativity its core value where therapists direct clients toward the achieving creative efficiency instead of conspiring with them in their journey to self-justification of “being right.” This approach has formed the core of a majority of family therapy trends (Doherty 2005). Clients are able to nurture an understanding for the natural and they give a problem “fresh look” instead of from different perspectives. Clients, through postmodern approaches, are able to create a personal mythology. They are able to tell a story of their own experiences. Individuals may change their lives in order to overcome certain life setbacks- which may comprise their family or their own psychological and physical capabilities. People with similar problems nevertheless, respond differently to the same solution to the problems. Postmodern approaches offer an eclectic approach to therapy. This ensures that a wide range of clients’ desires are catered for. Utilizing postmodern approach in family therapy allows individuals to build on skills. This is achieved as a result of the grouping nature that is characteristic of the approach. Clients are allowed to reflect on the points of view of other individuals. They are also guided, by social workers on how to view themselves in different perspectives lead to the manifestation of more emotions, mind-sets and their beliefs. These can then be re-evaluated. Weaknesses of Postmodern Approaches This approach may lead to major changes in one’s life. For instance, an individual be required to change his job or end a long term relationship if that is the cause of the problem. This may prove to be difficult to do and may drag the therapy sessions longer than was estimated. The social worker has to pay attention and take very seriously what the client says in this approach. The social worker cannot interpret what the client is saying. This is the case even if the worker thinks that the goals stated by the clients are not right. Workers who have developed a professional way of directly dealing with client problem will find it difficult to alter the way they carry out their sessions since they are used to going direct to the underlying cause of a problem. In solution based approach, the client is the person to say when a session should come to an end. This is particularly disadvantageous to those social workers in private practice as some sessions may drag. The worker is forced to come to terms with the client’s ambitions. Using this type of approach has proved inconvenient to many workers especially in time management. A client may decide to change an appointment date according to his or her availability and not based on the workers diary. Prolonged sessions may also disrupt the worker’s schedule for the day or week. Unfortunately, the worker has to cope with this. Early Family Therapy Models - Experiential Approach Experiential approach to family therapy was influenced by the humanist school of thought. It emerged during the 1960s its creator was Carl Whitaker. In this approach, family members either do not know their real feelings or they are holding such feeling back. They instead avoid feelings and stick to a routine in the system (Roberto 2008). Experiential approach, however, is based so much on pragmatic standpoints and believes that applying theory in therapy can hinder clinical work. Experiential approach is based on several premises; there should be a commitment to personal awareness and self-actualization; family cohesion is the binding tool toward self-actualization; emphasis is on individual growth; freedom from impulses is the key to reducing defensiveness (Greenberg 2006). It tends to share values in self-actualization, achieving of human potential, and in the innate capability and tendency of individuals to attain it (Nichols and Schwarts 2008). The main objective of experiential approach to family therapy is to eliminate oppressive environments in the families since it is in these settings that the negative defensive behaviors developed. It was a method used families that to manage crisis in their homes. The experience of emotions during sessions excites apprehension and emotions in family members thereby allowing them to acknowledge and value feelings. In the process therapists try to identify roles that have been put into a routine and battle for organization while the family is in charge of the change (Johnson 2007). For behavior change to be felt in there are conditions to be met. The therapist must be able to open individuals’ so that they can manifest their real emotions. This makes it easy for the family members to understand the environment they are harboring. Another condition to be met is that the therapist should be affectionate and encouraging. By doing this, he theoretically becomes a member of the family involved and a “real person”. Thirdly, the therapist should involve many family members and also has to be mature enough and a professional in the field. Lastly, during sessions, therapists are supposed to instruct by illustrating how clients can be open, sincere and impulsive (Becvar 2006). So many things have changed since the emergence of early family therapy models. Treating an individual alone in the family has its advantages but the dynamics have changed in the present day (Stroh 2006). Role of the Therapist in Experiential Approach Therapists are only concerned with the relations that link them and the family. His responsibility needs fast acting, a sense of self-awareness, honesty and readiness to employ his own responses during therapy sessions. In this approach, the therapist plays the role of a creator. He however, does not advise the family on what it’s supposed to do or be. He gives them the free will to express themselves. Any interpretations the therapist may conjure from the family dialogues, he keeps to himself. Strengths of Experiential Approach This approach improves youth’s self-awareness and self-discipline, lowers their behavior problems and enables parents manage the behaviors of their children more easily. The reason for this is that the presence of the many family members offers the required support. In this approach, the social worker is more involved and therefore the outcome of the therapy is more from the workers help. He or she listens to what family members have to say then comes in and gives his or her input. The worker also has the discretion to interpret what the client is saying thus giving a more professional perspective of the problem the client is undergoing. Families become more involved and in the process, their functioning improves. This is attributed to interactions during sessions which allow them the freedom of opening up. Individual members will then know more about the other member of the family and this promotes cohesion. This approach gives the therapists the satisfaction that they have helped their clients since this is the reason many therapists go into this field. The therapist focuses on the tendency of being helpful rather than being considered useful. The fact that it allows the participation of the entire family makes the therapists work a bit easy. This is because feelings are easily manifested in the presence of a group of familiar faces. This feature further helps in the growth of individual members in the family. Weaknesses of Experiential Approach It is largely based on the therapist’s personality. This will put the outcome of therapy in jeopardy if his personality is negative. Family members will shy away from opening up arrogant or high tempered therapists. Experiential approach is not suitable therapists who are inexperienced in family therapy field. An inexperienced therapist would not have the ability to take the kind of emotions that would be displayed during therapy sessions. If he or she cannot remain cool and composed then expected goals will not be achieved. The family is a system and for this, it is comprised of many members who complement each other. By focusing on the growth of the individual negates the overall growth and development of the family as a whole. It is important for members to co-exist to promote functionality and the possibility of this occurs only if the whole family advancement is the main objective of the therapy. The main focus of this approach is on the present. It deals with problems that affect the family at a particular moment. This however, does not guarantee that the therapy would get to the root of the crisis the family faces and due to this the recurrence of a similar problem is possible. Experiential approach is a more intrusive approach than the postmodern approach. It tends to delve into secrets that the family may be having in the process of trying to bring about changes. This may not auger well with some families that regard their privacy with uttermost important facet of their family. Conclusion Family therapy should both focus on the individual and the family as a whole (AASW, 2005). The experiential approach and postmodern approach address this separately and which approach used by a therapist on a particular family might not work with another (Kim 2006). It is therefore very important that the family does try both approaches when one fails to work. Therapists on their part should not use the one size fits all approach. They should inform the family they are preparing to work with of the approach they are going to employ, what is involved and what is required of them for the success of the therapy (Marley 2010). References Becvar, S. & Becvar, J., 2006, Family therapy: A systemic integration, Boston, MA: Pearson. Carroll, W., 2008, Psychology of language, USA: Thompson Wadsworth. Corey, G., 2009, Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy, Florence: Cengage Learning. Gehart, D., 2009, Mastering Competencies in Family Therapy: A Practical Approach to Theory and Clinical Case Documentation, Florence: Cengage Learning. Goldenberg, I. and Goldenberg, H., 2007, Family Therapy: AN OVERVIEW, Florence: Cengage Learning. Lent, R. and Brown, S., 2008, Handbook of Counseling Psychology, New York: John Wiley and Sons. Nichols, P. and Schwartz, C, 2008, Family therapy: Concepts and methods, Boston: Pearson. Nichols, P. & Schwarz, C, 2006, Family therapy: Concepts and methods, 7th ed. Boston: Pearson Education. Sprenkle, H. and Blow, J., 2004, Common factors and our sacred models, Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 30(1) 113-129. Zastrow, C., 2009, The Practice of Social Work: A Comprehensive Worktext, Florence: Cengage Learning. Read More

The focus here is on people discovering unrecognized and hidden capabilities that are contained within individuals. One such approach is Solution-focused therapy. Since the emergence of solution-focused therapy, it has proved to be an effective intervention across the whole range of problem presentations (Iveson, 2002). Milton Erickson, a strong proponent of solution-focused therapy, strongly believed that it is individuals who had the power to find solution to their own problems. According to him, the main feature of this approach was to use whatever was available in the client’s context since any confidential feature in the client’s life could be the decisive part of the needed change.

According to de Shazer, people are willing to change since they have experienced accomplishments and so they do not focus on them so much. In this approach the structure of the therapy is more concerned with creating the freedom for a particular type of dialogue between those involved and not on the sessions start, middle and conclusion bits (Postmodern therapy 2009). If observed while use, one would take note of the characteristic quiet and reflective session. Dialogue is takes a more meandering approach and the therapist does not allow himself to be in a situation where he act as the one who is familiar with the problem (Reichenberg and Seligman 2009).

Only advice to the specific crisis may be given as one of the possible ideas by the social worker. The therapist understands that it is respectful to provide the client with very minimal information and show interest to what is in the clients’ mind and his responses. The social workers main role in the whole process is to initiate a given type of dialogue. Group members then expound on important subject matters in the session, bring up new ideas they have managed to grasp during their dialogue and answer to connotations materializing from the dialogue (Barker 2007).

These can then be disregarded, negated or built up on freely by the family and social worker. Postmodern approaches to family therapy exhibit a uniting characteristic which is very important in today’s therapy family therapy practices. This unifying trait is essential since it is important to understand psychological problems in social relationships perspective. Another feature supporting the relevance of postmodern approaches is that present day postmodern family therapists find portraying differences part of making change.

Thirdly, current trends in family therapy involve the family as a whole and not one affected individual. Postmodern approaches focus on working with groups, where the therapist’s role is to carry out interviews and another small group makes remarks on what they see (Gehart 2009). Strengths of Postmodern Approaches Postmodern approach has several strengths to explain why it is widely used today. It makes creativity its core value where therapists direct clients toward the achieving creative efficiency instead of conspiring with them in their journey to self-justification of “being right.

” This approach has formed the core of a majority of family therapy trends (Doherty 2005). Clients are able to nurture an understanding for the natural and they give a problem “fresh look” instead of from different perspectives. Clients, through postmodern approaches, are able to create a personal mythology. They are able to tell a story of their own experiences. Individuals may change their lives in order to overcome certain life setbacks- which may comprise their family or their own psychological and physical capabilities.

People with similar problems nevertheless, respond differently to the same solution to the problems. Postmodern approaches offer an eclectic approach to therapy. This ensures that a wide range of clients’ desires are catered for. Utilizing postmodern approach in family therapy allows individuals to build on skills. This is achieved as a result of the grouping nature that is characteristic of the approach.

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