Family Therapy Case Study
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Family Therapy Case Study
For this activity, watch the video: Family Therapy Case Study. Use the information in the scenario to answer the following questions:
Inez and Joseph are a married couple with a 7-year-old son, Leo. Leo is in second grade, but Leo has been refusing to go to school for several weeks. Sometimes, Inez and Joseph are able to coax or force him to go to school, but other times, he stays home the entire day. Almost every school-day morning begins with Leo refusing to get dressed to go to school. Inez and Joseph have been unable to overcome this refusal, and if they try to dress him themselves, he squirms, runs out of the room, cries, and screams. Leo's behavior has caused significant strain on the marriage. Inez and Joseph frequently and intensely argue about the ideal way to handle Leo. Generally, Inez is more sympathetic and concerned about exploring underlying roots of his behavior, whereas Joseph prefers to make hard-and-fast rules or demands that will force Leo to behave more appropriately regarding of any underlying causes. There is significantly more hostility and less warmth in the home since Leo began this behavior, and Inez and Joseph are concerned that the problem is not improving. They seek the help of Dr. Gollum, a clinical psychologist who practices family therapy.
- Which approach to family therapy would be ideal for this family (e.g., structural, solution-focused, Bowenian)? Explain your thoughts and support your choices with aspects of the text or other scholarly sources.
- Is family therapy preferable to other options, such as individual therapy for Leo or parent training for Inez and Joseph? Explain your thoughts and support your choices with aspects of the text or other scholarly sources.
- What would be the most valid measure of psychotherapy outcome for this case? Explain your thoughts and support your choices with aspects of the text or other scholarly sources.
Cite your textbook and online source(s) according to APA format. Be sure to include both an in-text citation for each scholarly source, and also a complete reference citation at the end of your post or paper. You will find a review of how to cite your scholarly sources using APA format in “APA Quick Reference” under Course Home .
