Integrative Paper on The Family Crucible’s Brice Family Essay

The origin of family therapy faecal matter be traced back to a tip in the mid-1900s when focus shifted from individual psycho compendium towards the correlation of mental problems and family structure and relationships. It began when the psychoanalytical setting became insufficient to address around cases where the mesh of separate members of the family was a greatly influential factor.It has long been established that manhood as social beings argon greatly affected by these interpersonal relationships. For instance a signifi flush toilett amount of visits to psychotherapists are due to conjugation and family problems. When mental illnesses are present with no biological of such, it is in like manner the family that is firstborn of all assessed. Freudian theories focus very lots on familial relationships as well. All of these developments offered new purportions for therapy (Long, 1996).One technique that arose, for example was the conjoint family therapy. Here, sessions are videotaped or observed behind one guidance screens. Another was safekeeping meetings with other families, called multiple family groups. Eventually, these gave birth to family therapy, which is now only about twoscore years old. The family, as a persons immediate environment, was hence presented as the most basic social unit. Since severally one has its throw set of values, rules and principles, we shag analyze the role and fundamental interactions within the family, and intention this analysis in a broader context- the community.Underneath the light and conversational tone that Napier and Whitaker (1988) use in their al-Quran, The Family Crucible, are fundamental concepts and approaches that can be helpful in understanding family therapy. It narrates the allegory of how the Brice familys conflicts were resolved by encouraging interaction among all five members and solving issues in the parents marriage.The Brice family is composed of David, the father who is a VIP law yer, Carolyn, an angry mother, their teenage daughter Claudia, and their two other children, Laura and Don. The story was also able to present the way some problems may dynamically affect each member of the family- a misunderstanding or asymmetry of family roles, for example, or excessive child focus that may lead to a couples unhappiness. Among other concepts presented too are blaming, family life rhythm method stages, polarization and reciprocity.For some time, the idea that Whitakers charismatic personality, and not rattling his theory, seemed accurate in the solving of the family problem. Without a formal education or training in therapy, Whitaker started developing his theories as he began a seek on how to treat schizophrenia using aggressive play therapy, after which he invested in developing other methods that could be applied in cases other than schizophrenia.For example, he used a form of pyknolepsy, where he would trance about himself and his patient during a session. This would show what their relationship was like and would be used as part of the therapy (Whitaker, 1981). He also said that in using a technique, a therapist also develops himself, with the patient as a conciliator.However, some of the points in the book can definitely suggest otherwise. For example, spontaneity in the family was seen as a sign of trust and proficient communication lines, an element that family therapy aims to measure. Where there is a free exchange of ideas, it becomes easier for members to exploit up and solve issues, which, if swept under the rug, can only hill up and become a cause of angst.In another book by Whitaker (1981), he emphasizes how normal families should not add up to each others stress. Another characteristic of a family in ripe shape is a certain freedom or flexibility in roles whenever certain changes occur. A members role should not be one that is strictly defined, but rather one that results from the conditions that the family is in, incl uding their values, culture and needs, which can change at a given time.I personally byword their insistence that all members of the Brice family be present during the therapy as impressive. When Carolyn, the mother, started showing signs of vexation about their son Dons tardiness, she wanted to begin the therapy without him already. However, the therapists proverb the need to treat the family as a whole, especially since their demand to move over the whole family in is the start of their battle for structure (p. 204).Family therapy has developed is a clinical methodology that revolves around the hypothesis that psychological distress can be assessed through the observation of human relations. It also capitalizes on the premise that every member of the system affects or influences each other and the system. And piece of music other cases may require individual therapy based on the individualization of the patient, some cases need to involve the whole family when the nature of the issue is much connected with it. Even though Carolyn insists that . . . Don isnt the problem. The problem has to do with Claudia (p. 6) or Claudia identifies herself as it, the fact remains that as a family, Claudia affects her siblings and parents, practiced as much as she affects them.Furthermore, the purpose of family therapy, like all other forms of therapy, is to create a therapeutic scram, and that experience will not be felt as a family if one is absent. The therapists constantly created activities like acting for the children in order to create such an experience and to later on suggest and attain amelioratement. Later on, even the grandparents become involved in the therapy. They were asked to come as consultants during sessions, especially since they have know the Brice family better and can help in observing or assessing them.I believe that the interact approach used by Napier and Whitaker proved to be appropriate for the Brice family. The way confusion, awkwar dness and silence were utilized to imbalance the family was also impressive. When the question When did you decouple your husband and marry the children? was straightforwardly asked to Carolyn, Whitaker also displayed a sense of captainism in the sense that he put the method of using Carolyns unbalance over the want to be liked by the client.Perhaps this emphasizes that during therapy, the therapists self-development and maturity is essential as well. Observable too is the impetus of the therapy from one stage to another, where the need for structure was identified and addressed during the first one, role playing and interaction were done during the second one to improve relationships especially that of the parents, and finally, the therapists saw the family functioning independently as one unit.However, it is also important to note that while these techniques were effective for the Brice family, they may not have the same results on other families. For example, the technique of unbalancing the family, though seen as an surplus stressor, is a risky step to take. If the purpose of such straightforwardness is not seen by the client, or if the dislike towards therapist grows to deter the progress of the session, unwished-for consequences could arise. A thorough initial assessment of the family, therefore, is necessary.Using the technique of co-therapy also seemed successful here, mainly due to the fact that Napier and Whitaker, after having been together in other cases, know how to work efficiently already. They even called this co-therapy a professional marriage. Nevertheless, the need for initial assessment is again emphasized as having to share your problems with two therapists can appear to be intimidating to some families, and can stir up some hesitation.BIBLIOGRAPHY Long, P. W. (1996). Family therapy. Retrieved June 18, 2009 from http//accg.net/family_therapy.htmNapier, A. Y. & Whitaker, C. (1988). The family crucible The intense experience of family therapy. New York Harper Collins Publishers.Whitaker, C. A. (1981). Symbolic-experiential family therapy. In A. S. Gurman, & D. P. Knistern (eds.), Handbook of family therapy. New York Brunner/Mazel.