Vargas Family: Structural Family Therapy Counseling
What are two current presenting problems for the Vargas family?
The two current problems presenting for the Vargas family include:
- Increase in marital tension: Recently, there have been increased marital tensions between Bob and Elizabeth. The two admit to having several arguments a week, some in the presence of their children. Frank’s impulsive behavior is the major cause of this marital rift.
- Blame and accusation behavior: Bob accuses Elizabeth of “overreacting”, being “too high-strung” and inability to relax. Elizabeth blames Bob of defending Frank’s impulsive behavior; and this is why she is unable to relax when Frank is damaging things or hurting Heidi.
How are the problems maintained according to the structural family therapy perspective?
According to (Horne, 2020), structural family therapy treats patterns of interaction that cause problems within a family. The two main problems presenting in the Vargas family as explained above are increased marital tension and the blame game behavior. In this reference, the structural family therapy may be used in various ways.
As per Elizabeth, Frank might have ADHD. This is because Frank does not listen, cannot sit still, is forgetful, always gets hurt, and damages things. Frank’s impulsive behavior remains the major cause of disagreements between Bob and Elizabeth. In structural family therapy, Franks impulsive and ADHD behaviors will be considered the causes of the dysfunctional family (John, 2017). Thus, a counselor will use structural family therapy to change the family structure instead of changing individual family members. Using this approach, communication and interactions amongst the Vargas family members will be improved. A counselor will highlight the appropriate boundaries for the family members and thus help create a healthier family structure.
According to (Horne, 2020), structural family fits where families and children are at risk, and where the family structure is unhealthy. In order to help frank control his impulsive behavior, a counselor will use this approach by enrolling Frank into a child welfare group. Also, the counselor will have to create room where Bob, Elizabeth, Heidi, and Frank interact in order to observe their interactions. In this doing, structural family therapy will help identify the boundaries, hierarchy, and relationships between Bob and Elizabeth, or relationships between Elizabeth and Frank. This will help the counselor see where changes are needed and what interventions are required to restructure and restore the Vargas family.
What structural interventions would you plan to use in your next session? (Identify and describe your plan for two interventions)
Observation: In the next counseling session, I want to observe how the Vargas family interacts. I plan to draw a chart of the Vargas’ family structure. In this chart, I will identify the boundaries, hierarchy, subsystems, or sub-relationships within the Vargas family unit (Jorge, 2015). As per the case, I would observe the relationship between Bob and Elizabeth especially when Frank is not listening when Elizabeth is sending him. Also, since it is clear from the case that Elizabeth has major issues with Frank’s impulsive behavior, I would observe her relationship with Bob (John, 2017). This will help me see where the family needs a change and the type of interventions needed to help restructure the Vargas family.
Role-play: The second structural intervention I would use is asking the Vargas family members to role-play a problematic situation, for example, have Bob and Elizabeth argue in front of their children Frank and Heidi. I plan to at times, appear to be “taking sides” to assist disrupt the unhealthy pattern existing within the family’s sub-system and alter the dynamic of the Vargas family relationship (John, 2017).
What is the role of the counselor in the change process according to the structural family therapy perspective?
As per the case, the Vargas family is dysfunctional. The goals of this therapy are to create healthy relationship and restore the family’s functionality (Jorge, 2015). In the change process, the counselor will play the following roles:
- Working to uncover any existing habitual patterns, behaviors, and routines that are negatively impacting the family dynamics
- Seeking to establish healthier patterns and routines within the Vargas family structure so as to create a dynamic, supportive, loving, and stable home life for every family member.
- Encouraging the Vargas family to communicate in a safe environment and helping the family develop more helpful language rather than resorting to blames, accusations, and shouting to one another.
References
- Horne, C. (2020, February 4). What Is Structural Family Therapy (SFT)? Family Therapy, 2-4.
- John, S. R. (2017). Structural and Strategic Family Therapy Comparison. Pyschological Studies, 1-7.
- Jorge, C. (2015). Structural family therapy. Handbook of Family Therapy, 134-174.