Assignment: Family Therapy Journey
Part I
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 to 3 pages in length.
1. What family did you choose?
2. How is this family different from your own? For example, how are their values and beliefs different?
3. What rules do this family follow and how are these rules different from the rules that you and your family follow?
4. What family roles exist?
5. Are there any similarities that exist between you and this family?
6. 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?
7. What aspects of working with this family do you find most challenging?
8. How do you intend to overcome these challenges?
9. What aspects of working with this family do you believe may be comfortable for you?
10. What are the family's issues?
11. On which "level", microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem does the family issue need to be addressed?
12. Is the family an "open" or "closed" system?
13. What interventions would you use with this family?
14. What factors did you consider when choosing a particular intervention?
15. What do you believe the family would most appreciate from you as a counselor and why?
16. What do you believe the family would least appreciate from you as a counselor and why?
Part II
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.
Format your homework according to the give formatting requirements:
• The answer must be using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, typed, with one-inch margins on all sides.
• The response also includes a cover page containing the student's name, the title of the homework, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
• Also include a reference page. The references and Citations should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.