Techniques of Strategic Family Therapy
- Joining. The first step involves creating a therapeutic alliance with the family. ...
- Tracking and Diagnosing. Once a therapeutic relationship has been established, the therapist will then work to learn more about the family's behavior patterns and problems.
- Restructuring. ...
- Additional Techniques. ...
What is Strategic Family Therapy?
Strategic family therapy combines a strategic approach to finding a constructive form of change for individuals within the individual’s immediate social context – namely the family.
What is strategic therapy and how does it work?
According to a website devoted to strategic therapy pioneer Jay Haley, “strategic therapy is any type of therapy where the therapist initiates what happens during therapy and designs a particular approach for each problem.”
What is a treatment plan?
Treatment planning is a team effort between the patient and health specialist. Both parties work together to create a shared vision and set attainable goals and objectives. A treatment plan is simple but specific. Although treatment plans vary, a treatment plan template or form generally contains the following fields:
What is the goal of family based therapy?
The goal of BSFT, therefore, is to change the patterns of family interactions that allow or encourage problematic adolescent behavior. By working with families, BSFT not only decreases youth problems, but also creates better functioning families (Santisteban et al., 2003).
What is strategic family therapy approach?
Strategic family therapy is based on the premise that the family plays the most important role in the life and development of children. This type of therapy seeks to identify and change the structural interaction patterns that make up the family environment.
What is the main goal of strategic family therapy?
The goal of BSFT is to improve a youth's behavior by improving family interactions that are presumed to be directly related to the child's symptoms, thus reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors for adolescent drug abuse and other conduct problems.
What is a family treatment plan?
Family therapy is a psychiatric approach that entails therapeutic sessions including a family unit or intimate relationship and a clinical psychologist. During sessions, individuals in a family can interact with one another and the psychologist in a controlled environment.
What are the focus areas of treatment in strategic family therapy?
Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT®) is an award-winning evidence-based practice that treats externalizing (e.g. substance abuse, acting-out, truancy, bullying) and internalizing (e.g. depression, anxiety) symptomatology in youth aged 6-18 years while restructuring problematic family interactions.
Who benefits from strategic family therapy?
Created by Jay Haley, strategic family therapy is a brief form of therapy often used for families with kids between the ages of 6-18. It's a model that focuses on symptom relief and may be used for children's concerns such as substance use* and other mental health or behavioral health problems.
What is the difference between structural and strategic family therapy?
Structural therapists focus on resolving structural problems in the family, whereas strategic therapists focus on the presenting symptom.
What are the 3 goals of family therapy?
Goals of Family Therapy Develop and maintain healthy boundaries. Facilitate cohesion and communication. Promote problem-solving by a better understanding of family dynamics.
What are the five approaches of family therapy?
There are five different parts to strategic therapy including a brief social stage, the problem stage, interactional stage, the goal-setting stage and the task-setting stage.
What are the three goals of family therapy?
Usual goals of family therapy are improving the communication, solving family problems, understanding and handling special family situations, and creating a better functioning home environment.
What is relevant about Brief Strategic Family Therapy?
Highlights. Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) adopts a structural family systems framework to improve a youth's behavior problems by improving family interactions that are presumed to be directly related to the youth's symptoms.
What is Strategic Therapy?
According to a website devoted to strategic therapy pioneer Jay Haley, “strategic therapy is any type of therapy where the therapist initiates what...
What is Family Therapy?
Family therapy, also called family systems therapy, considers families as systems, systems that organically develop rules and interactions, and sys...
How do You Become a Strategic Family Therapist?
If you have a passion for working with families, and are interested in using solution-focused interventions such as strategic family therapy, consi...
What is strategic therapy?
According to a website devoted to strategic therapy pioneer Jay Haley, “strategic therapy is any type of therapy where the therapist initiates what happens during therapy and designs a particular approach for each problem.”. Perhaps the best explanation for strategic therapy is to describe what it is not: strategic therapy is not ...
What is family therapy?
Family therapy, also called family systems therapy, considers families as systems, systems that organically develop rules and interactions, and systems that affect the psychological health of all those involved. Just as a governmental or organizational system affects individuals, so does the family system.
What is required to practice as a therapist?
To practice as a therapist or counselor, states require licensing, and each state has specific requirements in meeting its licensing requirements. Additional coursework or certification in strategic family therapy is also required to utilize this specialized therapeutic model.
What is Haley's model of family therapy?
Haley’s model for effective family therapy can be summarized as follows: Individuals don’t develop problems in isolation, but as a response to their social environment. In strategic family therapy, the therapist develops techniques for solving problems specific to the family’s interactions and structure. The therapist sees the problem as part of ...
What is the emphasis of a therapist?
The therapist sees the problem as part of a sequence of interactions of those in the individual’s immediate social environment. Symptoms of a particular pathology or behavior must be studied in relation to the social unit or family system. The emphasis of the therapy is not on the individual but on the social situation or structure.
Do family therapists draw a causal link between pathology and family dynamics?
Family therapists don’t draw a causative link between pathology and family dynamics but rather show how family interactions or the lack of interactions contribute to the problems, often supporting them in dysfunctional ways.
What is the difference between structural family therapy and strategic family therapy?
What is the difference between strategic and structural family therapy? Strategic family therapy is similar to, but not identical to, structural family therapy. To oversimplify a bit, a structura list tends to look at the family as a whole, as one solid organism.
What is structural family therapy?
Structural family therapy focuses on viewing the family structure as an organism. It doesn’t view the family as a collection of individuals but rather as a living, changing organism that greatly impacts and affects its members. Therefore, therapists can look to find structural issues within the family.
What is family therapy?
Family therapy combines listening to a family’s problems and creating specific solutions and plans to solve those family issues. Strategic family therapy SFT is an extremely useful approach for families dealing with multiple issues and issues spanning multiple people.
How does structural therapy work?
For structural therapy to work, the therapist must join the family dynamic and earn their trust and confidence as part of their structure. After “joining the family” in a sense, the therapist may then observe and change their family dynamics for the better.
What is transgenerational family therapy?
Transgenerational family therapy is a broad category of therapies that seek to deal with familial issues that span multiple generations. The therapist seeks to understand generational dynamics and problems to solve better current problems based on the past and improve interactions further in the future.
What is family interaction in family therapy?
In structural family therapy, family interactions are also still important, but therapists tend to view the family as independent entities. The family structure itself can be thought of as an “organism under stress,” Thus, the therapist is searching to solve problems within the structure of the family itself.
How does structural family approach work?
The structural family approach considers the family itself as an organism that needs attention. The goal is to work out kinks within the family structure itself to help the individual members.
What Is Strategic Family Therapy?
Strategic family therapy (SFT) is a time limited, short-term type of family therapy that typically lasts between 12 and 16 sessions with an understanding that the family is the strongest influence on adolescent development and behavior.
Core Concepts of Strategic Family Therapy
There are three principles that guide SFT: all family members are connected, a family’s habits impact the behavior of its members, and intervention needs to be targeted to the problem and meet the needs of the family.
What Can SFT Help With?
This intervention is specifically designed for children and adolescents diagnosed with conduct disorders, substance use disorder, aggressive behaviors, and noncompliance.
The Steps of Strategic Family Therapy
SFT is considered a short-term intervention with a therapist that tends to last an average of 12 sessions. The first few sessions consist of joining with the clients, which basically means the therapist gets to know the family members and starts the process of building rapport and a therapeutic alliance.
Strategic Family Therapy Examples
SFT is most commonly used as an intervention for substance abuse, aggression, risky sexual behaviors, or delinquency. 5 While referrals often come from the juvenile justice system, they could also come from a school system or parent.
Cost of Strategic Family Therapy
SFT is an evidenced-based intervention that is typically covered by most insurance companies. However, your out-of-pocket cost will depend on your specific plan and the amount of your deductible.
How to Find a Strategic Family Therapist
Recognize that your search for a SFT therapist may be longer if you are looking for an in-network provider. If you’re going this route, contact the member services number on the back of your insurance card and request a list of in-network family therapists near you.
What is family therapy?
Program Goals and Target Population#N#Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) is a family-based intervention designed to prevent and treat child and adolescent behavior problems. The goal of BSFT is to improve a youth’s behavior by improving family interactions that are presumed to be directly related to the child’s symptoms, thus reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors for adolescent drug abuse and other conduct problems. BSFT targets children and adolescents who are displaying—or are at risk for developing—behavior problems, including substance abuse.#N#Program Components#N#BSFT is based on the fundamental assumption that adaptive family interactions can play a pivotal role in protecting children from negative influences and that maladaptive family interactions can contribute to the evolution of behavior problems and consequently are a primary target for intervention. The therapy is tailored to target the particular problem interactions and behaviors in each client family. Therapists seek to change maladaptive family interaction patterns by coaching family interactions as they occur in session to create the opportunity for new, more functional interactions to emerge.#N#Major techniques used are joining (engaging and entering the family system), tracking and diagnosing (identifying maladaptive interactions and family strengths), and restructuring (transforming maladaptive interactions). Through the technique of joining, the therapist develops a therapeutic alliance with the family, one that gives due respect to each individual within the family as well as to the way the family is organized. As this working alliance is established, the therapist tracks and diagnoses family strengths, weaknesses, and patterns, which sets the foundation for the treatment plan. Restructuring or reframing techniques help the family reduce problematic relations and patterns, and instead develop mutually supportive and effective relations and patterns. Depending on the case, these techniques may include helping families develop effective behavior management skills, conflict resolution skills, or communications skills and helping parents learn parenting skills.#N#BSFT is a short-term, problem-oriented intervention. A typical session lasts 60 to 90 minutes and is held with the adolescent and one or more other family members. The average length of treatment is 12 to 16 sessions over a 3- to 4-month period. For more severe cases, such as substance-abusing adolescents, the average number of sessions and length of treatment may be doubled. Treatment can take place in the office, home, or community settings.
What are the techniques used in family therapy?
Major techniques used are joining (engaging and entering the family system), tracking and diagnosing (identifying maladaptive interactions and family strengths), and restructuring (transforming maladaptive interactions). Through the technique of joining, the therapist develops a therapeutic alliance with the family, ...
What is BSFT in psychology?
BSFT is based on the fundamental assumption that adaptive family interactions can play a pivotal role in protecting children from negative influences and that maladaptive family interactions can contribute to the evolution of behavior problems and consequently are a primary target for intervention. The therapy is tailored to target ...
Types Of Strategic Family Therapy
Brief strategic family therapy or BSFT is an approach that includes 12-17 weekly sessions of at least 60-90 minutes. This evidence-based approach addresses external and internal symptoms of behavioral issues in children aged 7-16.
Strategic Family Therapy Techniques
Strategic family therapy takes into consideration each family’s situation and structure, however, the techniques used in this therapy treatment can include:
Benefits Of Strategic Family Therapy
The benefits of strategic family therapy can be many. Some of them can include:
Is It Effective?
Research suggests that strategic family therapy can be effective in treating adolescents with substance abuse problems, mental health disorders, and other behavioral issues. One study found that brief strategic family therapy helped improve family engagement and family functioning.
Challenges Of Strategic Family Therapy
Of course, every therapy has its challenges. While SFT is effective, it may not be the right choice for treating every behavioral issue. Some challenges that may occur can be:
What is treatment planning?
Treatment planning is a team effort between the patient and health specialist. Both parties work together to create a shared vision and set attainable goals and objectives.
What is the role of model and technique in a treatment plan?
Treatment plans provide structure patients need to change. Model and technique factors account for 15 percent of a change in therapy. Research shows that focus and structure are critical parts of positive therapy outcomes. Goal-setting as part of a treatment plan is beneficial in itself. Setting goals helps patients:
What is a goal in a patient's life?
Both parties work together to create a shared vision and set attainable goals and objectives. A goal is a general statement of what the patient wishes to accomplish. Examples of goals include: The patient will learn to cope with negative feelings without using substances.
What is the third section of a treatment plan?
Problems and goals: The third section of the treatment plan will include issues, goals, and a few measurable objectives. Each issue area will also include a time frame for reaching goals and completing objectives. Counselors should strive to have at least three goals.
Do mental health professionals have to make treatment plans?
Although not all mental health professionals are required to produce treatment plans, it’s a beneficial practice for the patient. In this article, we’ll show you why treatment plans are essential and how to create treatment plans that will make a difference in your and your patient’s lives.
