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SNHU Dynamics in Working with Couples and Families Paper
Discussion: The Dynamics in Working With Couples and Families
Working with couples and families presents numerous theoretical, ethical, and practical challenges that are not present when working with individuals. It is important for the helping professional to recognize the differences between working with couples and families as opposed to working with individuals.
By Day 4
Post three examples of how working with couples and families differs from working with individuals. Explain these differences. Then, explain any challenges you may face related to this distinction in your professional practice based on your current skills. Provide an example scenario that illustrates your post.
Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.
By Day 6
Respond to two of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:
- Ask a probing question.
- Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.
- Offer and support an opinion.
- Make a suggestion.
- Expand on your colleague’s posting.
Colleague 1:Khalila
Postthree examples of how working with couples and families differs from working with individuals. Explain these differences.
Unlike individual therapy, the therapeutic process does not focus on one individual’s unique trait or their specific areas for improvements to achieve positive outcomes. Instead, problems are viewed from an interpersonal aspect (Gurman, Lebow & Snyder, 2015). This means that the goals are to improve the function of the family/couple as a system. Another difference between family and individual therapy is that therapy sessions include all members involved (Gurman, Lebow & Snyder, 2015). For instance, the therapist will not only meet with one member independently to discuss family/couple problems. Lastly, couple/family therapy lasts for a shorter duration (Gurman, Lebow & Snyder, 2015). Co-therapists are present in this form of therapy. The benefit of having a co- therapist includes an increase in resources provided to the clients. Ultimately, these resources can assist clients achieve therapy outcomes sooner than in individual therapy.
Then, explain any challenges you may face related to this distinction in your professional practice based on your current skills. Provide an example scenario that illustrates your post.
Based on my current skills, a challenge that I may encounter in my professional practice could be managing a member’s negative emotions during a therapy session. As previously stated, couple/family therapy is conjoint. I must be mindful of all member’s values and respect their differences while assisting them achieve their goals together. I currently lack couple/family facilitation skills because I have not experienced real-life practice in this setting. This lack of professional experience can present challenges (Chambless, Miklowitz, & Shoham, 2012). For instance, if differences in values is the presenting problem for the couple, the members may believe in different discipline strategies for their child. Their differences may result to constant arguments impacting their relationship dynamic. It would be my goal to help them acknowledge and understand its impact on an interpersonal aspect. In this case, it could be possible that one member becomes upset. With competency and experience, I will learn how to effectively address this concern.
References
Gurman, A. S., Lebow, J. L., Snyder, D. K. (2015). Clinical handbook of couple therapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Chambless, D. L., Miklowitz, D. J., & Shoham, V. (2012). Beyond the patient: couple and family therapy for individual problems. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(5), 487–489. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1002/jcl…
Colleague 2: Marcus
Post by Day 4 three examples of how working with couples and families differs from working with individuals. Explain these differences.
Greetings,
The three examples I selected that are different from working with individuals are that you are focusing on looking at the relationship dynamics in the family system. Secondly, couples and family counseling focus on healthy communication skills. Thirdly, working with couples and families, we look at the family system. In contrast, individual social work practice aims at the individual needs and the social environment. Multiple counterparts are involved with couples and family counseling. As a social worker, you must look at the relationships and the behaviors that affect the relationships based on different emotions and interactions in the family system. According to Fischer & Fink (2014), “all couple therapies are focused on reducing relationship distress, we argue that Behavioral couples therapy (BCT)s such as traditional behavioral couple therapy, integrative couple behavioral therapy, and the program developed by John M. Gottman (1999)” (p.11).
Then, explain any challenges you may face related to this distinction in your professional practice based on your current skills.
The challenge that I may face related to this distinction in your professional practice is the lack of training in couple and family treatments (Chambless et al., 2012). One of the challenges with couples and family counseling is learning how to make appropriate observations about the couples and families. Another challenge that I see in couples and family counseling is learning how to decrease the relational distress in family members and couples. Chambless et al., (2012), reported that couple and family treatment is more difficult than individual psychotherapy, and perhaps this is one reason that so many psychotherapists eschew this format (p.488). As a helping professional I have no experience in couple and family counseling, but I have in my personal life have helped couples with marital issues and relationship distress to people I was close to. I have no prior training in providing couples psychotherapy.
Provide an example scenario that illustrates your post.
A social worker working with couples and family counseling may experience challenges in making sure that the helping professional be careful about choosing sides when providing counseling to this population. Choosing sides when working with couples and families counseling can cause a bad therapeutic working relationship during the session and cause families and couples to split when disagreements take place. Whisman & Baucom (2011) reported that the relationship among spouse or partner will be the most important interpersonal relationship that people develop in their lifetime (p.4). When harm is caused in a relationship of couples and families, members may experience a lack of intimacy and family closeness in the relationship. As helping professionals, we may lack training around couples and family social work practices when handling relationships problems.
References:
Chambless, D. L., Miklowitz, D. J., & Shoham, V. (2012). Beyond the patient: Couple and family therapy for individual problems. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68(5), 487–489.
Whisman, M. A., & Baucom, D. H. (2012). Intimaterelationships and psychopathology. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15(1), 4–13.
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