Module 4- Directions:
Write: 1) a critically reflective, brief analysis of the two to three main sources (readings and/or videos) that you considered to be most valuable, and
2) a deeply reflective paragraph or two about what you consider to be the main insights and questions growing out of your learning in this module. Also, you are required to do a short write-up for this course learning module (about two pages or less)—where you (articulate in one to three sentences for each learning outcome, evidence that you have achieved that outcome.)- use the learning outcomes below for the essay.
Learning Outcome:
-You will identify therapeutic and client situations that are recommended for strategic family therapy.
-You will describe the distinctions between first-order change and second-order change in family dysfunction.
-You will name paradoxical interventions and describe how they are intended to have effects on the family behavior.
-You will identify the goals of strategic family therapy regarding the cycle of behaviors.
-You will describe the differences between straight directives and paradoxical directives.
-You will name the fundamental premises of strategic family therapy vs. psychodynamic therapy.
Strategic Family Therapy, Part 1—Strategic Principles of Family Therapy:
Assessment and Diagnosis
Strategic Family Therapy asserts that dysfunctional behaviors happen in a sequence or hierarchy; that is, one behavior is responded to with another behavior which elicits another behavior, which in turn is responded to again in an unending cycle. It assumes that any interruption in the cycle of behaviors creates the potential for new and more functional responses. A more functional, but still dysfunctional behavior may be elicited in the process to achieve functionality.
Second order change is often required to handle very “stuck” behavior sequences; that is, change interventions of the first order (from the familiar realm of choices or what has been tried or what seems available) do not work (have not been working).
Second order change is change that goes outside of the familiar or previously tried- that goes outside of the values, rules, and parameters that the person(s) involved is/are unconsciously holding or are holding unquestioning. When the person(s) becomes conscious of his/her rules and discovers that these rules are not necessarily iron-clad or even appropriate when viewed from a different perspective, whole new sets of previously unrecognized remedies or approaches become evident- one of which may be very effective.
The work of Jay Haley, problem-solving, Milan, and MRI (Mental Research Institute) are variations of strategic based therapy. (It should be noted that some consider “problem-solving” to be a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approach. Sometimes there are no clear-cut distinctions between approaches which may have overlapping qualities and characteristics!)
