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Model Of Family Therapy

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In general, family therapy, including couples therapy, has been an intimidating concept and practice during my professional development. For me, the most challenging aspect of family therapy is governing the mental and emotional energies of multiple people within the same session. I am sure, just as with most clinical skills, practice and development over time would lessen my apprehension and deepen my clinical acumen. Perhaps my path and current outlook may have taken a different direction with other guidance during my graduate studies. Initially, I intended to pursue a double concentration in Behavioral Health and Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), while picking up a certificate for alcohol and other drug (AODA) treatment along the way. I recall vividly that my advisor at time suggested the outlay of coursework would not only be rigorous, but also potentially extend beyond the average sequence for MSW graduate students. Following …show more content…
Under the broader behavioral health track, I took courses in “Models of Family Therapy” and an elective course in Solution Focused Brief Therapy. The models course provided a cursory overview of various family therapy modalities. Ironically, the course used the same textbook as our current class. I cannot recall feeling particularly inspired by family therapy at the time, although I certainly appreciate the education as a primer to clinical practice. Of my current knowledge base and clinical use, I am intrigued by systems and structural theories as related to individual behavior. Although I prefer individual therapy, I find it particularly useful to understand families of origin and how early relationships may contribute to present day clinical concerns. As suggested by the Nichols text, it is seldom that we treat individuals in isolation. The

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