The family is a remarkable system composed of individuals with varying backgrounds, personalities, and needs who assume complementary roles to meet their own needs, as well as the needs of the other family members. A family is a dynamic system which is constantly changing. Sometimes change is anticipated. For example, as children grow their roles and needs change, the family may have to relocate, a parent may take a new job with different responsibilities. In other cases, change may be unexpected. For example, the loss of a family member, serious illness, or some type of trauma. Regardless of the reason, change requires adaptations by the individuals as well as the family system, and change often brings stress. Sometimes, the family is able to modify roles and how needs are met in order to adapt to the changes. Other times, the stress may result in conflicts between two or more family members or self-defeating responses as each member and the family unit attempt to adapt.
When providing professional assistance to a family, my first step is to try to understand what has brought the family to my office. Often times, one family member is seen as “the cause” or the “problem” but closer examination reveals the interactions of two or more family members may be important. For example, how one or more family members respond to one family member may cause or reinforce the “problem”. Next I try to develop an understanding of the dynamics and reciprocal interactions between individual family members. I will then determine whether one or more family members should be regularly included in the treatment process. For example, only the parents, a parent and child, or the entire family unit.
I will use my understanding of the individuals in the family as well as the dynamics of the family unit to develop a treatment plan to try to achieve the desired and agreed upon outcome(s).
