Assignment Part 1:
Chapter 15- Couple and marriage therapy approaches appear to be well researched and hightly effective. Given that, why is it that so few couples seek marital or couples therapy when there is abuse of any kind in the family? What do you think could be done to increase the numbers of such families? ~ Respond meaningfully to 2 other posts for full credit. (3 pts) Chapter 16- Why are marriage and family practitioners reluctant to embrace research and assessment in clinical practice? What do you think could be done to rectify this situation? Respond meaningfully to 2 other posts for full credit. Need Assignment Help?
Respond to two students
Student 1: M.G.
Chapter 15: I believe that there are multiple reasons that couples may be reluctant to seek therapy. Examples may include one member having a hard time convincing the other to attend.
Especially in cases of abuse, families may be fearful that their child may be taken from them, or one member may refuse to identify the relationship as abusive. Furthermore, if the abuser recognizes themselves as abusive, they may not want to change because they want to remain "in control." In these cases, I think it may be difficult to increase the likelihood of these families coming in. However, a few approaches that I would suggest would be to raise awareness about different types of abuse, such as mental and emotional, not just physical. Additionally, I think that it is important to provide confidential services to prevent fear of friends or other members of the community finding out. Lastly, reducing the stigma around family and couples counseling and mental health awareness could be a major contributor.
Chapter 16: In my opinion, marriage and family practitioners may be reluctant to embrace research and assessment in their clinical practice because they struggle to apply the findings to real-world situations. In the real world, there are outside factors that may interrupt or make it harder for the counselor to apply these findings. Furthermore, counselors may be reluctant to try new approaches until they have seen or heard of someone else who has had success with them personally. This is because counselors value and protect the well-being of their clients, and they may want to see firsthand success before applying new techniques. To address this issue, I would suggest that research studies take into account outside variables that may affect real-world clients and clearly explain practical applications. Additionally, I would encourage counselors to attend continuing education opportunities so they can see firsthand examples of how these findings have been applied and build confidence in using them in their own practice.
Student 2: L.B.
I think people in those situations might be scared of having the family broken up and what the next steps would be while also having shame for staying in a situation that is harmful. It could also be difficult to bring the abuser to the session because they could push back extra on the rest of the family and feel attacked by the family in sessions. To increase the number of families coming in, there should be an increase in awareness or resources for those families to have options other than jumping into full therapy right away. Sometimes the most helpful thing could be to ease into therapeutic interventions except in the case of danger to one or more people involved.
Marriage and family counselors could be reluctant to embrace research and assessment because of the time commitments, resources, and training needed to complete research and assessment. It could also impact their commitments to their clients. This situation could be rectified by increasing training in research for students and applying some of the simpler techniques to therapeutic approaches more often.
Assignment Part 2: 115-150 words
We are finally at the end of ECED 6340: Counseling Children and Adolescents! We have covered a lot of material this semester in a short amount of time! Thanks for all of your great responses, posts, and comments this semester!
As we wrap up our discussions, what are some "key points, lessons learned, and/or important information that you can take with you as you continue (or begin) your counseling career. That is, what particularly stood out to you as beneficial? Do you feel that you are better prepared to work with children and adolescent clients and why? What did you like about the class and what do you feel could have been improved?
Great job!
This course provided me with knowledge to working with children and adolescents however I'm still a bit nervous working with them due to no current experience
Your responses should be well thought out and comprehensive and will be assessed based on your evidence of content knowledge and critical thought.
Your responses should be well thought out and comprehensive and will be assessed based on your evidence of content knowledge and critical thought.
Respond to two students: 30-60
Student 1: J.B.
This online class was filled with so many insightful lessons about supporting kids and teens.
One major takeaway for me is the importance of truly listening and understanding their experiences. I feel more equipped now, having learned various strategies to help them feel safe and heard. I really appreciated the opportunity to share our thoughts and learn from each other in this virtual setting. If I could tweak one thing, it would be to incorporate more interactive activities or games to enhance our learning experience. Overall, it was a fantastic class, and I'm eager to apply what I've learned!
Student 2: C.K.
This class has been really helpful for me. Although children are not my target client audience, I regularly encounter parents and young adults who are experiencing issues relative to development. The case study examples have been really helpful. My child has struggled with spelling words for several years. One of the application videos shows cased a technique of making flashcards and turning it into a time challenge. I tried that technique with my daughter and she really enjoyed it. Because she struggles she does not want to do spelling, but making it a game helped her to focus and learn her words more efficient. It took a lot of the stress and negative emotions out of that process for us. Thinking outside the box and making sure to understand that children exhibit symptoms of disorders in different ways than adults allows you to reach children on a level that is impactful.