Couple and Family Assessment and Treatment Plan, Assessment Example

Introduction

The television series The Haves and the Have Nots represents a series of important family-based challenges that impact the core family within the series. In particular, the relationship between mother and daughter Hanna and Candace is particularly tumultuous and requires further investigation and evaluation. This family relationship requires significant therapeutic intervention and understanding in order to accomplish the desired objectives and to seek opportunities for growth and change that will have a positive impact on this relationship and its improvement over time. These factors support the need for family-based therapy that adopts existing models and frameworks in order to achieve the desired results, while also considering other challenges that contribute to this dynamic, including jealousy, frustration, and selfishness. Existing tools and theoretical frameworks are required in order to overcome these obstacles and to demonstrate the importance of cohesive and harmonious family relationships in support the growth of the family unit. This process also requires the use of evidence-based models as necessary in order to accomplish the desired objectives in improving the mother-daughter relationship using proven techniques. The following discussion will address the relationship between Hanna and Candace in greater detail in order to identify the manner in which family-based therapy might be effective in supporting the growth and development of this relationship to improve its overall functionality.

Analysis

Models of family therapy support unique challenges that family members face as they attempt to fracture existing relationships and improve their communication skills on a gradual basis. This process requires an effective understanding of the issues that are most prevalent in developing new strategies for growth that will accomplish the desired objectives. A number of theoretical models must be considered, including the Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change, which impacts many areas that demonstrate the importance of change as a gradual and highly individualistic process that requires willingness to change in order to achieve the desired results (Prochaska et.al, 2013).

Evidence-based techniques involving family therapy have become increasingly common throughout society and support the development of common objectives that all family members share in order to fulfill the needs of the family unit through the therapeutic intervention (Fraser et.al, 2012). This strategy requires the use of methods such as Integrative Family and Systems Treatment as an opportunity to explore the common dimensions that exist as part of a larger approach to managing these relationships more effectively (Fraser et.al, 2012). Other models include structural family therapy, which coincides with the development of a change in the family structure which has a negative impact on its members; strategic therapy, which encompasses personal actions as key contributors to family dysfunction, including lack of communication; Milan family therapy, which involves a resistance to change and exacerbation of the problem as attempts are made to correct it; solution-focused brief therapy, which focuses on the future and the ability to change, rather than focusing on the past; narrative therapy, which uses language in creative ways to describe experiences and to skirt around the cause and focus on the effects; cognitive-behavioral therapy, which address the relationship between families, cognition, behaviors, and emotions in order to identify problems; Bowen family therapy, which recognizes the past as driving the present and future, and the ability to recognize differentiation as a driver of change; psychodynamic family therapy, in which family members thrive on appreciation and recognize aggression; experiential family therapy, which involves the suppression of feelings and emotions and the overuse of defense mechanisms; and emotionally focused therapy, which addresses how relationships influence and possibly change people (Nelson, 2012). Each of these therapeutic interventions has its own merits and may be effective under some conditions; however, not all therapies are effective all the time, and the chosen therapy must be explored more closely in order to determine if it will be effective in a given situation, such as the relationship between Hanna and Candace. A number of important factors must be considered that will be effective in identifying the problems within the relationship, why they have occurred to begin with, and what might be accomplished through the appropriate therapeutic intervention.

It is expected that the chosen intervention method will explore the problems within the relationship between mother and daughter and the larger family dynamic that exists within the family unit. This example requires an effective level of communication between the two parties that is not based on dysfunction and that will better identify the core of the problem and a possible solution over the long term. In order for a family to receive the most viable treatment for their given situation, it is important to identify the specific resources that are required to ensure that this process will be effective and productive for both parties. These factors demonstrate the importance of the use of therapeutic strategies that are likely to be effective in supporting this dynamic and in deciphering the challenges that mother and daughter face in their relationship in its current state.

From an evidence-based point of view, there are significant factors associated with the development of new models that will support the family unit and attempt to overcome obstacles during therapy sessions. With any evidence-based approach, there must be consensus regarding the desired outcomes, in addition to honesty, empathy, affirmation, and a positive approach to these experiences (NREPP, 2014). Evidence-based models are likely to improve the relationships between family members and will also demonstrate the importance of achieving a level of cohesiveness within the family unit. Evidence-based solutions offer an opportunity to generate important insight from family therapy in order to accomplish the desired objectives in alleviating tension and improving family relationships.

A number of evidence-based solutions regarding family therapy have been explored in order to identify opportunities to improve therapy and to apply it to specific situations. For example, randomized controlled trials and measures of effectiveness have been evaluated as a means of addressing specific criteria that support family therapy on many different levels (Stratton, 2011). Furthermore, issues associated with the effectiveness of these programs and their longstanding impact must also be considered as key contributing factors in supporting therapist-client relationships and how this influences the outcomes that are observed with these relationships and with the family unit as a whole (Stratton, 2011).

It is imperative to evaluate evidence-based practice solutions and to adopt them as part of a much larger framework for growth and change that will have a positive impact on family therapy over time (Lanphear, 2004). The involvement of families in the decisions that are made regarding evidence-based practice supports their ongoing growth and development, as well as their approach to ensuring that the appropriate outcomes are achieved using these tools, particularly with child-parent dynamics (Lanphear, 2004). The family unit that requires therapy must demonstrate its ability to be receptive to therapy and to recognize the value of therapy as a key component of a successful set of family relationships (Lanphear, 2004).

The success of the chosen family intervention depends on the type of therapy that is chosen, the dynamic between the therapist and family members, and the ability of the intervention to identify the problems that exist and how these might improve the success of the family unit. These factors support an ongoing approach to managing the needs of family members that will provide a positive framework for success and achievement within the family dynamic. These factors contribute to the overall effectiveness of the therapeutic intervention and how it impacts the family and its members. It is important to identify areas that require significant attention and support so that there are sufficient opportunities to alleviate family tension and other challenges. These issues are instrumental in determining how to best move forward and to recognize the importance of family therapy as a means of solving problems and in repairing fractured relationships that would have a positive impact on the family as a whole.

Conclusion

The example of the relationship between Hanna and Candace from The Haves and the Have Nots represents an opportunity to explore the different dimensions of the family dynamic and how any type of dysfunction may cause serious problems for these relationships. Therefore, it is important to identify the challenges that exist within the family through a therapeutic intervention. This process supports the ongoing efforts to identify family problems and to address these issues in an open forum that supports the growth of family relationships as best as possible. These factors contribute to an understanding of different types of family therapies and how these factors influence the family and its ability to overcome dysfunction as best as possible. This process encourages family members to reach out and to seek assistance as necessary so that they are able to identify their specific concerns, address these concerns in an open format, and repair these relationships. Evidence-based practice solutions also play a role in this process and facilitate the growth of the family unit and its potential for successful outcomes that will remain effective over the long term.

References

Fraser, J. S., Solovey, A. D., Grove, D., Lee, M. Y., & Greene, G. J. (2012). Integrative Families

and Systems Treatment: A Middle Path Toward Integrating Common and Specific Factors in Evidence?Based Family Therapy. Journal of marital and family therapy, 38(3), 515-528.

Lanphear, G. (2004). Evidence based practice beliefs, definition, suggestions for families developed by The Association for Children’s Mental Health. Retrieved from http://www.acmh-mi.org/41447_ACMH_Booklet.pdf

National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (2014). Evidence-based therapy relationships. Retrieved from http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/Norcross.aspx#chapter1

Nelson, T.S. (2012). Major marriage and family therapy models. Retrieved from http://www.aamft.org/Institutes13/Supervision/Individual_Documents/Saturday/mft%20model%20charts%202012%20sup.pdf

Prochaska, J. O. (2013). Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change. In Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine (pp. 1997-2000). Springer New York.

Stratton, P. (2011). The evidence base of systemic family and couples therapies. Retrieved from http://www.aft.org.uk/SpringboardWebApp/userfiles/aft/file/Training/EvidenceBaseofSystemicFamilyandCouplesTherapies%28Jan2011%29.pdf