Prompt:
As part of the standard of care, therapists develop treatment plans for the clients and families they are doing therapy with. However, the treatment plan will be distinctly different depending on the therapeutic approach the therapist decides to use with the unit of treatment and will be tailored to the unit. Being as postmodern theories give special attention to language, context, and meaning within each family group, developing a treatment plan must be carefully crafted with this in mind.
Below you will be provided a vignette of a family unit that comes to therapy seeking services from you. After you read the vignette, you will develop a treatment plan for the family. Be sure the treatment plan is developed with the therapeutic approach being studied this week and that it specifically discusses the issues seen in the vignette.
Develop a treatment plan using a Narrative Family Therapy approach. BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE WHOLE FAMILY UNIT IN THE TREATMENT PLAN.
Along with your treatment plan, explore legal and ethical issues related to the case. Including bias, boundaries, referrals, reports, risk assessments, etc. Give special attention to what steps you would take the manage your bias toward the family and how you would take a postmodern approach in the therapeutic interactions and relationship. Make sure every section is filled in the treatment plan template.
In your replies to classmates, discuss the differences and similarities in each other’s treatment plans and the importance of supervision and collaboration on cases.
Vignette
The Yun family comes to therapy to see you because they are “worried” for the youngest child, Mai Lin (15 years old). The Yun family is conformed of adoptive parents, Len and Win, and adopted children, Sam (21 years old), Fran (18 years old), Callie (16 years old), and Mai Lin. Parents report that lately, Mai Lin has “not been herself”. She is spending less time with her friends, irritable, quiet, and pensive. They mention that a few years ago, Mai Lin was seen by a therapist for self-harm behavior but that she hasn’t poked herself with needles since then. Mai Lin confirms this but reports that she often feels like there is “pressure building up inside of her” that she can’t get rid of. She mentions that she has always felt like the “weird” one in the family and believes that she is burdening her family. Sam, Fran and Callie listen quietly during the session and occasionally wipe tears from their eyes. When questioned, they deny strongly feeling burdened by Mai Lin and state that they are in therapy because they noticed the difference in her after she told her family 6 months ago that she may be bisexual. They admit that they were the ones that convinced their parents to come to family therapy and that they want to show Mai Lin that they can become a caring family. Sam mentions that he feels guilty he was not present when Mai Lin was struggling with self-harm and refers to himself as a “bad older brother”, especially since he knows Fran and Callie also have “things they need to confess” to the family. Len and Win appear overwhelmed during the session and turn to you helplessly and state that they just “want to be the happy family” they once were and want to know how to be “good parents”. They admit that they too have been distant due to their jobs and that they haven’t been as present as they would’ve liked to be. Fran and Callie look at each other nervously and later report that they sometimes skip school.
ANSWER
Presenting Problem (What issue(s) brings the client to therapy?)
Yun’s family (Len and Win as the parents and Sam, Fran, Callie, and Mai Lin as the children) came to therapy because of Mai Lin’s problematic behavior. All four children are adopted. They indicate that she has been spending less time with friends and has been quiet and irritable. She had visited a therapist years ago because of self-harm behaviors, where she would poke herself with needles. Mai Lin indicated that she feels that she is burdening her family. Len and Wan are busy parents and they feel … To access full answer, use the purchase button below.