Compare and contrast actions you would take as a family counselor in each of the steps of the process, e.g., preplanning, initial session, middle phase, and termination/closure

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Actions you would take as a family counselor in each of the steps of the process:
• Preplanning
• Understand expectations the client has for treatment
• Gather essential clinical information
• Hypothesize about possible issues for the family
• Schedule an appointment
• Initial session(s)
• The counselor must establish rapport
• Therapeutic alliance can be created through the following:
• Maintenance – confirm or support a family member’s position
• Tracking – following a series of events
• Mimesis – adopting a family’s style of communication
• Counselor observes the family dance, or the way a couple or family typically interacts verbally or nonverbally
• Counselor may ask circular questions, which are questions that focus attention on couple or family connections and highlight differences among members
• Middle phase
• Couples or families and the counselor explore new behaviors and take chances
• Types of change:
• First-order change – superficial change
• Second-order change – structured rules are altered; the change hoped for in counseling
• The middle phase can be enhanced with homework – tasks to complete outside sessions – or psychoeducational assignments to learn more and interact together
• Termination/closure
• The final phase of treatment
• The couple or family, the counselor, or both may initiate termination.
• In beginning termination, the counselor and couple or family should ask themselves why they are entering this phase
• Counselor should make sure that the work the couple or family has done is summarized and celebrated so the family feels more aware and stronger
• Termination also includes creating long-term goals, predicting setbacks, and follow-up