Family intervention M2.1 Discussion

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View and reflect on the video entitled “The Legacy of Unresolved Loss: A Family Systems Approach” (total 90 minutes in length, 2006, interactive transcribed, Dr. Monica McGoldrick, Alexander Street/Psychotherapy.net). The therapist, Monica McGoldrick works with a family that presents with a complaint about their teenage daughter. As with any family, what they come in assuming and complaining is the problem, is just the “tip of the iceberg”.

First watch Sessions 1-4 of the video. There may be points where you might comment or note certain behaviors or family processes in the session. Take note of how Dr. McGoldrick uses family systems theory, a family genogram, and other techniques. It is a good idea to record the time stamp for key points you want to discuss in your original post.

Step 1:

View Session 1, Parts 1-3, Session 2, Parts 1-3, Session 3 and 4 (00:00 to 57:13)

After viewing 4 sessions address the following questions:

What life cycle stage(s) – there may be more than one – is this family in at the present? Be sure to define the life-cycle stages that you are referring to.
Given the stage (s) what are some important considerations to consider during the early stages of working with this family?
How did Dr McGoldrick engage the family? What are your impressions about and reactions to Dr McGoldrick’s style and her approach?
What specific interventions did you observe Dr. McGoldrick making with the family? (Name at least two).
Step 2:
Continue viewing the video and specific clips up to the end. Include references to Chapter 2 in Goldenberg et. al. as needed to support your views.

Session 5 to Session 18 end (57:13 to 1 hr 25:35)

After viewing address the following questions:

Critique the developmental stage model by identifying 1) at least two strengths and 2) potential weaknesses of using this framework for understanding family process.
Is the developmental stage model useful for deciding which interventions to use or not use? Explain your reasoning.
What do you anticipate might be the most challenging and difficult family life cycle stages? Explain your thinking?
What might you have done differently in contrast to Dr McGoldrick’s approach?

ANSWER

Family Intervention M2.1

There are several life-cycle stages involved in this family. There is the unattached adult who is the elder brother in college, the teenage child, Michelle, who is attending therapy, and the parents are childbearing adults and also a launching center stage as they have a young baby two years old and an adult child who is going to college (Wickett, 2022). Given the different stages, it is essential to consider that the family is facing a crisis due to the many life-cycle stages. Dr. McGoldrick approaches the family by asking about their family history. Family history is important in establishing the root cause of the problem. In this family, the doctor first lets the family talk about the loss in the family and also talks about the fact that they never dealt with all the losses.

Developmental theories explain the development of human beings and the changes that occur. It also explains the kind of influence that impacts development. The strengths of developmental theories are that it promotes a hands-on experience that helps approach problems from the root causes (Saracho & Evans, 2021). The developmental theory also helps one understand the development of a person and how certain events could have affected their development. According to critics, children have different developmental stages, and thus they are not dependable s they are not consistent.

The developmental theory is useful in deciding the intervention to use or not use. This is because the different stages that are affected will determine the intervention to use, for example, in the case of Michelle. She lost her sense of security after the death of her mother and grandmother. This affected her development and thus the reason she was acting out as a teenager. The most difficult family cycle stages should be the teenage child and the launching center. Teenage children are at the peak of their childhood and could be troublesome. The launching center is where one has to let go of the children and let them explore the world on their own, and that can be difficult. In contrast to Dr. McGoldrick, I would not have done anything differently.

References

Saracho, O. N., & Evans, R. (2021). Theorists and their developmental theories. Early Child Development and Care, 191(7-8), 993-1001.

Wickett, H. (2022). The Legacy of Unresolved Loss A Family Systems Approach. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVeMDBNSrOI