Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling

Jay Hayden

Overview
What is a Family Family life cycle Types of family Family stressors Major theories used in both marriage and family counseling Enrichment with Marriage and Family

What is Marriage and Family Counseling?

relatively new field major growth in 1970's-80's concentrates on making changes in systems while individual and group focus on intra/inter personal changes

What is a Family?
Family: considered to be those persons who are biologically and/or psychologically related through historical, emotional, or economic bonds who perceive themselves to be part of a household.
This is a bit wordy....how would you define a family?

Family Life Cycle

Family Life Cycle: Name given to the stages a family goes through as it evolves over the years.
Stages sometimes parallel and complement individual life cycle of family members

9 Stages of Family Life Cycle

1.Unattached adult 2.Newly Married Adults 3.Childbearing adults 4.Preschool-aged child 5.School-aged child
6. Teenage child 7. Launching center 8. Middle-aged adults 9. Retired Adults

Different Types of Families

1.Minority Ethnic Families 2.Dual Career Families 3.Single Parent Families 4.Childless Families

Research suggests that working women are more likely to experience conflict between their work and family roles than working men?
What are your thoughts on this?

Different Types of Families

5. Remarried Families
6. 7. 8. 9. Gay and Lesbian Families Aging Families Multi-generational Families Military Families

Family Life Stressors

Vertical: stressors that deal with family patterns, secrets, legacies, and are inherited from other generations Horizontal: stressors related to the present that deal with developmental changes or unpredictable events

Common Stressors in Families

Economics and finance Behaviors of children Insufficient family play time Insufficient personal time Insufficient couple time Communicating with children

Can you think of anything to add to this list?

Research behind M.F.T

50% of the problems brought to counselors are related to marriage and family issues Family counseling interventions are at least as effective as individual interventions for most client complaints and lead to greater durability of change

Research Continued
The presence of BOTH parents in family counseling situations greatly improves the chances for success

Effectiveness within marriage counseling nearly doubles when both partners meet with a counselor together rather than only spouse receiving help

Couple and Marriage Counseling

Approaches to Marriage Counseling

1.Psychoanalytic 2.Social Learning 3.Bowen Family Systems 4.Structural-Strategic 5.Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Psychoanalytic
Based on theory of object relations

Use interpretation, dream work, and analysis of resistance Focus: have couple gain new insights into their lives and lead to changed behaviors

Social Learning
Partners either have a deficit or excess of needed behaviors Use self reports, observation, homework assignments Focus: skill building in the PRESENT

Bowen Family Systems

Need to separate ourselves from our families of origin and form stable self concepts Use genograms to assess self and family and answer content based questions about one's family Focus: differentiation of ones thoughts from ones emotions and ones self from others

Structural-Strategic
Marital difficulties are generated by the system the couple is in Counselor is directive and ask clients to pretend to make changes or to complete home work to bring about new functional behaviors that will help the couple achieve a specific goal

Focus: couple needs to try new behaviors since old ones are not working

R.E.B.T
Irrational thinking is what leads to neurosis and relationship disturbance Counselor first works with partners separately then counsels them together Focus: Couples need to challenge and change their belief systems and stop catastrophizing about themselves and their marriage

Make a Genogram !
Map out your personal genogram. Incorporate you personal family system including any immediate friend, family, and/or romantic partner. We will use these genograms later in the presentation.

Background of Family Counseling

Family typically enters counseling because of family "trouble maker" Circular causality: Family members affect each other for better or worse and the family as a whole through their multiple interactions.
This can especially be seen during Christmas...

Dysfunctional Families...we've all been there ...

Approaches to Family Counseling

1.Psychodynamic: object relations, unconscious/unresolved conflict, help family obtain insight into family of origin conflict 2. Experiential: unaware of their emotions, goal is to open family members to new experiences and express feeling

Experiential: Nonproductive Roles

Placater: agrees and tries to please Blamer: dominates and finds fault Responsible Analyzer: remains emotionally detached and intellectual Distractor: interrupts and constantly chatters about irrelevant topics Where do you fall within these roles? Label these roles within your genogram.

Family Counseling Cont'd

3. Behavioral: importance of family rules and skill training, focus on changing family interaction through teaching, modeling, and reinforcing new behaviors 4. Structural: Counselor helps family change their structure, reframe their problems, create clear boundaries and appropriate ways of interacting.

Family Counseling Cont'd

5. Strategic: Focus on process rather than on content of dysfunctional interactions, pay little attention to instilling insight

6. Brief Solution-Focused: Utilization principle: use whatever clients present in counseling as a basis and means for client solutions and change. Try to help clients get a different perspective on their situation

Family Counseling Cont'd

7. Narrative: Emphasizes the reauthorizing by individuals and families of their life stories. All family members can objectively address unproductive behaviors to create change in their story

Marriage and Family Enrichment

Primary prevention method to couple or family counseling is by enrichment. Marriages and families are healthier by participating in enriching activities ex: couples retreat, family bonding activities

Hillary Wing Richards, LPC., MA/Ed.S

Licensed Professional Counselor -runs private practice out of home -has been practicing professionally for 20 years Adjunct Psychology Faculty at JMU -teaches classes with the social work and psychology department

Use to be director of local rape crisis agency (agency now The Collins Center)

Client Base
70% of her practice is involves couples and families

Spike in this clientele within the last 5-8 years

Believes this surge has to do with todays society and economic state

Therapeutic Technique
Mostly Person Centered, but varies between clients and families depending upon their needs Describes her approach as an eclectic view Emphasis on positive regard for client and fostering a healthy therapeutic relationship based on trust and understanding

Future for Counseling?

Move towards brief therapy

This progression is in part due to insurance companies only covering a limited number of sessions
Good future outlook: More people are comfortable with coming to counseling. -more Men are coming forward than in the past

Any Advice?
NETWORKING! Importance of self care Dont be afraid to say I dont know the answer and seek help Participate in trainings and continue your education Keep an open mind Be vigilant of insurance companies and stay up to date with their ever changing standards LOVE WHAT YOU DO!