COU304: Appraise THREE (3) Strengths and THREE (3) Limitations of the Structural Family Therapy model using one case example:Family Counselling Assignment, SUSS, Singapore

Question 1

Appraise THREE (3) strengths and THREE (3) limitations of the Structural Family Therapy model using one case example taken from relevant literature. Please attach the case example in the TMA.

• Showcase your understanding of your approach
• Substantiate it with a case example, may use the murphy’s case (aunt’s segment)
• Accentuate the strengths and limitations
• To use more than 1 case example to explain the strengths and limitations
• Do elaborate on the strengths and limitations and link to the point
• Screenshot or PUT AN IMAGE of the case study and leave it at the last page (after references)

Question 2

Conduct a family therapy session with a verbatim analysis.

a. Develop a brief write-up on the family composition, presenting issues and coping about the family you interview

• Just description on who the family is with the presenting issues and answer to question 2(a)

b. Analyse techniques used at different segments of the interview using

Structural Family Therapy:

• Using these techniques will just have to show how you will showcase the techniques. A few lines on how the conversations flow between counsellor and client will do. The conversation should not be solely from a counsellor, should involve the client too.

Eg.

Counsellor:

Client:

• Need to know when to use the techniques to be able to show in the different segments of interviews with “Imaginary Family” created from Q2(a)
• Will only require showing snippets of the conversations, do not need to be the entire conversations
• It is only to show how you display these techniques on family members from 2(a)

1. directiveness
2. enactment
3. unbalancing

Question 3

Propose how an integrative approach could be effective in family counselling. Critically evaluate how such an approach may or may not be suited for family counselling.

• When focusing on the sources that indicate integrative approach could be effective, evaluate how effective it can be and analyse if it can be effective in Singapore’s context
• What are your limitations of this approach?
• How useful can this approach be

CASE EXAMPLE

The Murphy family is composed of the father (Joe), 33 years old; mother (Connie), 30; Jenny, 7; and Kevin, 4. On the telephone, the mother stated that Kevin is very aggressive, throws toys at his sister, and screams for no apparent motive.

Last week he pushed Jenny and caused her to injure her eye. Mother’s sister Pat, 28 years old, who lives in the same apartment building and is a school teacher, has always thought Kevin to be hyperactive, and some time ago she arranged for a neurological examination.

The test found nothing wrong with Kevin. The Murphys own a small grocery store where both work.
When the family (including Pat) enters the room for the first interview, Kevin and Jenny (who has a patch on her right eye) go directly to the toys; the therapist follows them and starts his joining by inquiring about Jenny’s condition.

He finds out that the lesion is not serious and also that Pat intervenes frequently in his dialogue with the children—adding to or correcting the information provided by Jenny and Kevin. It turns out that Kevin pushed Jenny while playing, and then Jenny hit a counter corner.

As the therapist stands up from the floor and sits on a chair, the children quickly organize themselves to play; Kevin does not—and will not—shows any of the typical signs of hyperactivity. The therapist proceeds then to explore the family structure and reframe the problem.