Applying Family System Therapy to the Case of Steve and Marry (COU101)

This essay applies Family System Therapy to the case of Steve and Marry, a couple facing marital issues. It begins by explaining the choice of this therapy, highlighting its suitability for addressing the couple's communication and emotional connection problems. The essay delves into the historical origins and evolution of Family System Therapy, tracing its development from early research on family dynamics to its current application in couple and family counseling. It describes the typical counselor-client relationship within this framework, emphasizing the importance of understanding the family as a system. The essay then applies the theory to the case study, suggesting counseling sessions and planned actions to improve Steve and Marry's family life, focusing on enhancing communication, understanding individual roles, and rebuilding their relationship. The conclusion reiterates the effectiveness of Family System Therapy in addressing the couple's grievances and promoting a healthier family system. The essay references several academic sources to support its claims and provide a comprehensive analysis of the chosen therapy and its application.

0
[Theories in COUNSELING]
2019

THEORIES IN COUNSELLING 1
Family System Therapy for Solving the Case of Steve and Marry
Theories of counselling provide guidelines or framework for the solving the issues of
the clients and develop a healthy relationships with their family units and thereby creating a
quality of life within the clients (Gabriel, 2017). Here, the essay is based on the condition of
Steve and Marry which is the chosen case study for solving their family issues with the
Family System Therapy. This therapy is helpful in the solving their marital issues and is a
psychological treatment for the solving of the marital problems. The essay will discuss the
seleted therapy for dealing with the issue of Steve and Marry. Along with this it will highlight
the suggested sessions and planned actions that can be helpful in improving the family life of
the client.
Family System Theraphy is used as the psychotherapy for resolving the conflicts of
the family units. This theory is chasen as it will help the client to solve their grievance into
their reklationships and make better relationships with each other (Furrow, Palmer, Johnson,
Faller, & Palmer-Olsen, 2019). It is also regarded as couple or family therapy that can be
effective for the problem of the couple. The history and evoilution of this theory has been
occurred from the social needs of the familities recognized by the classical theorist and the
new cultural movements which explains that human beings search for the solution of their
common life problems. This has given an urgency to make an understanding that familes are
not isoloatd but are regarded as a whole in social context. This therapy, however, has a major
perspective of not only making the patient outcomes but also enhances the human
interactions thatv in turn improves the relationships (Patterson, Williams, Edwards, Chamow,
& Grauf-Grounds, 2018).
Further, origin of the family system therapy was brought up in early 1940s when the
researchers and the theorist were looking into the approach for the developing a universal
family system. The Birth of the theory was through the preminent theorist called Gregory
Bateson, Jay Haley and John Weakland who collaborate conducted the research and made the
determination of the process of family communication. It has been determined that the family
interactions influences the self regulations and behaviours and patterns. Thus, the therapy is
evoluted from the psychotic behaviours of the patients who later determined that the theory
can be helpful in the intervention and has the primary focus on improving the human
interatctions that can make the change and can restructure the interpersonal relationships.

THEORIES IN COUNSELLING 2
This has given the due importance to the psychotherapist that can resolve the issue of the
family through the use of the therapy which is the main resource for the patients (Becvar &
Becvar, 2017).
In the case study of Steve and Marry, the couple are worried about their married life.
The couple has been suffering from the issues at the time when they are planning their carrers
altogether. The couple is worried that they have lost love in their relationships and are often
isolated form each other. They have started following different hobbies such as Marry is busy
with her female friends and playing tennis in the spare time. Steve has been started playing
squash with the boys. This has separated them from each other because of the fact that both
have different careers to focus on. Thus, the situation of their relationship can be effectively
solved through the Family System Therapy as this can be an effective way for knowing each
other and relating the things with each other and open the line of communication between the
couple (Good Therapy, 2918).
The selection of Family System Therapy is considered to be appropriate for the case
study situation as the both Marry and Steve need to work upon their conflicts through
interactions and establishing the lines of communication that can be helpful in solving their
personal grievances and achieve a high level of understanding between each other. Moreover,
Family Therapy is used as the counseling technique for the misfunctioning or the ailments in
the relationship of the people (Ackerman, 2019). Thus, the use of this theory can be helpful
for the identification of the kinds of counselling sessions and the proper analysis of the family
problem that can support the appropriate functioning of the family and solving their
relationship issues. The appropriateness of the theory can also be understood from the fact
that the theory is higly beneficial in the understanding of specific behaviours and dealig with
the diverse individual patterns for the effective problem solving.
Application of Famliy System Therapy requires the assessment of the strengths of
relationship between the couple (Hanna, 2018). It can be noted that the strength of their
relationships is persistent to be their love towards each other which is the binding force that
can bind the relationship of both the people. Moreover, there can be certain ethgical or legal
issues that can hamper the their entire family function (Sexton, 2017). Divorce can be the
ethical or legal issue that can affect the relationship of Steve and Marry and can make them
accountable for their separation. Increase in their lack of understading and also increase in the
conflicts between the couple may lead to the path of divorce and can make them separated for

THEORIES IN COUNSELLING 3
a lifetime. This can be the ethical or legal issue which should be considerd while giving
therapy to the patient.
For the purpose of assisting the couple, counseling techniques can be used in
accordance with the Family System Therapy (Linares, 2018). This includes the techniques
that can resolve the issue of the Marry and Steve. Both the individuals should be focused on
determining their own and other person's behaviours that creating a level of understanding
between each other. Both the individuals must work together to make collaborations and also
develop a collaborative approach for the proper functioning of the family which is considered
to be the main aim of the family (Andriopoulou, 2019). The members are expected to explore
their individual roles within the family and work for the benefit of the family and the save
their relationship from being threatened.
As the couple is struggling to connect with each other and are unable to make healthy
relationships and have the risk of relationship failure. Family Therapy can be effectively used
for the condition of the Marry and Steve which provides them an opportunity to make the
make their relationship healthy through the relationship counselling which can help them to
determine each other's emotional condition through the identifying the ways of emotional
distancing and the financial difficulties (Premier Mind, 2017). Besides, communication
therapy is used for the condition of the couple in which the individuals can be persuaded to
adopt the certain level of skills for the improving the communication between the two
members and also realizing the value of the relationships.
The outcome of the counseling of Marry and Steve can be attained in such a way that
both the parties are able to make the better interactions through use of the effective
interpersonal communication skills. Therapy attempts to achieve the outcome wherein both
the people are able to communicate and express their thoughts in an effective way and that
can improve their relationship. Also, when the therapy goes well, it can make the individuals
free from the stress and also relieving the stressful situation (Puskar, 2019). The outcome can
be to make both the persons aware of their individual roles in the families. Also, the couple
can create the ability to support each other and rebuilding their family relationships that can
facilitate them to achieve the healthy family system. The outcome of the therapy can be to
make the couple aware of their relationship strengths that can build the problem solving skills
and also harmonize the family system structures.

THEORIES IN COUNSELLING 4
Moreover, the planned Family System Therapy can go through the sessions that are to
be given to the couple to improve their cognitive ability to make the effective decisions and
also solve their relatipnship problems through the critical thinking (Karam, Blow, Sprenkle,
& Davis, 2015). The couple is suggested to take three to four sessions for solving their
relationship issues. First session must start with the communication therapy wherein the
couple can create a level of understanding through communication and also make the efforts
for solving the differences. Second session must be based on psychoeducation in which the
people must be aware of the mental condition of each other in which both the persons must
be aware of each other's mental and emotional situation. In the third and fourth session, the
couple must be given relationship counseling to make the foregone understanding of the
issues and the ways they can make their married life happier (Langham, 2019). This
involvesd the efforts of both of the individuals who are ready to solve the issues and mutually
decide to workout the problem and live a happy life in the future.
To conclude, it can be said that theories of counseling can be used for the treating the
patient's psychological condition. It has been evolved with various kinds of the theories that
can be effectively managed and used for the physotic patients and also for the effective
problem solving. The essay has discussed the Family System Therapy which is used for
solving the issues between Marry and Steve. Th essay has highlighted the evolution and
history of therapy. The application of the therapy on the situation of the couple is also
discussed along with suggestions of making improving the mental condition that can be
helpful for the phychiological wellbeing and prevent their relationship. Lastly, the essay has
discussed the number of sessions to be given to the couple for solving the grievances in the
couple.

THEORIES IN COUNSELLING 5
References
Ackerman, C. (2019, October 27). What Is Family Therapy? + 6 Techniques & Interventions.
Retrieved December 27, 2019, from Positive Psychology:
https://positivepsychology.com/family-therapy/
Andriopoulou, P. (2019). Short-term family therapy. The Handbook of Brief Therapies: A
practical guide, 65.
Becvar, R., & Becvar, D. (2017). Systems theory and family therapy: A primer. Routledge.
Furrow, J., Palmer, G., Johnson, S., Faller, G., & Palmer-Olsen, L. (2019). Emotionally
focused family therapy: Restoring connection and promoting resilience. Routledge .
Gabriel, J. (2017). Adlerian Individual Psychology Counselling Theory: Implications for the
Nigeria Context. Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 1-9.
Good Therapy. (2918, January 30). What is the Purpose of Family Therapy? Retrieved
December 27, 2019, from
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/family-systems-therapy
Hanna, S. (2018). The practice of family therapy: Key elements across models. Routledge.
Karam, E., Blow, A., Sprenkle, D., & Davis, S. (2015). Strengthening the systemic ties that
bind: Integrating common factors into marriage and family therapy curricula. Journal
of Marital and Family Therapy, 41(2), 136-149.
Langham, R. (2019, June 22). Family Systems Therapy. Retrieved December 27, 2019, from
Therapy Tribe: https://www.therapytribe.com/therapy/what-is-family-systems-
therapy/
Linares, J. (2018). The Family Therapy of Psychosis: A Reconfirmation Process. In Clinical
Interventions in Systemic Couple and Family Therapy (pp. 3-13`). Springer.
Patterson, J., Williams, L., Edwards, T., Chamow, L., & Grauf-Grounds, C. (2018). Essential
skills in family therapy: From the first interview to termination. Guilford Publications.
Premier Mind. (2017, January 29). Types of Family Therapy. Retrieved December 27, 2019,
from Premier Mind Institue : https://premiermindinstitute.com/types-family-therapy/

THEORIES IN COUNSELLING 6
Puskar, M. (2019, November 20). The Benefits Of Family Counseling. Retrieved December
27, 2019, from Better Help: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/counseling/the-
benefits-of-family-counseling/
Sexton, T. (2017). Functional family therapy. The Encyclopedia of Juvenile Delinquency and
Justice, 1-7.