How could the family genogram be applied to the treatment of a family with addiction issues? Please apply this to a hypothetical family. This discussion question is informed by the following CACREP Standards: 2.F.5.a. Theories and models of counseling. 2.F.5.b. A systems approach to conceptualizing clients. TEXTBOOKS   Murdock, N. L. (2017). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. ISBN-13: 9780134240220. URL: http://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/pearson/2016/theories-of-counseling-and-psychotherapy_a-case-approach_ebook_4e.php 1 posts Re: Topic 6 DQ 1 (Obj. 6.1 and 6.4) Bowenian family systems have a lot to take in when conducting family therapy sessions. There are a lot of terms and the theory does a lot of good to help people and families. However, sometimes the terms can cause a bit of confusion with the new counselor as they seek to assess and help their clients. In particular, “the definitions of differentiation, chronic anxiety, and stress seem to overlap in Bowen’s system, causing some fuzziness in at least my understanding of the relations among these concepts. Sometimes stress, differentiation, and anxiety appear to be separate, independent constructs. However, at other points Bowen seemed to use these terms interchangeably, or at least he implied that the three qualities covary perfectly” (Murdock 2017). These terms overlap and have instances where they share areas or symptoms with clients that we can find confusing. If the counselor is confused about these aspects, then it will be hard for him or her to work with the client’s struggles to make goals for their therapy relationship. So the best thing that the counselor can do is have an accurate understanding of these terms and what they mean. Some strategies for applying Bowenian theory with a client involve understanding this theory from a personal standpoint. “Bowen thought that counselors wanting to do BFST should work on their own levels of differentiation. Kerr and Bowen noted that “the more a therapist has worked on differentiation of self in his own family, the more he will be able to get closely involved with a clinical family and still be ‘outside’ the system The idea is that the therapist is a neutral, objective observer who avoids the clutches of the clients’ emotional system. Transference, although recognized by Bowen theorists, is to be avoided. Therefore, the therapist needs to undergo BFST therapy himself so that he can competently provide help to others” (Murdock 2017). This idea makes sense, I struggled to teach a Bible Study to addicts when I was a seminary student as I did not know all the terms they were learning and using in their classes they took. I simply could not connect with them, and the Bible Studies were going poorly no matter what I did until I realized that I may not understand addiction to illegal substances but as a human struggling with weight issues, I understood addiction in a different way. I think Bowenian family therapy can truly add some insight into families and help them grow closer together and stronger together.  2 posts Re: Topic 6 DQ 1 (Obj. 6.1 and 6.4) These three systems have very different focal points. A new counselor would have to choose a theory ahead of time and stick with it, or else it could cause a great amount of confusion if it were to switch mid-therapy. As Murdock (2017) discussed, structural is interested in the development of the family and problems are in the relationship, not the individuals. Strategic users pay attention to patterns of communication, specifically repetitive patterns, and the behavior within the family unit. Bowenian counselors, which are the non-traditional followers of Bowen, help the client in the present but focus on multigenerational issues. A new counselor must have a clear plan of approach and end goal when implementing family systems theories. There are many constructs within the theories that could be applied in individual therapy, in my opinion. Bowen family systems theory (BFST) relies heavily on differentiation and that a healthy family has a healthy balance of togetherness and separation (Murdock, 2017). This can be applied to the individual as well. Communication from individual to individual within the family hierarchy can be pulled from strategic therapy. Structural family therapy discusses boundaries. Each person, within the family, can develop a flexible set of rules to follow that can then help the family.  2 posts Re: Topic 6 DQ 1 (Obj. 6.1 and 6.4) One issue I can see being a challenge is trying to treat a group instead of an individual.. Most of these other theories we’ve discussed have been very specific to treating the individual and not about figuring out a group dynamic. Another challenge I can see is avoiding any kind of cultural bias. Different cultures have vastly different versions of what a family system should be. The roles in a family can vary greatly, and don’t all adhere to a western european structure like I’m sure most of us are used to. As far as applying these theories to individual therapy goes, I suppose a counselor could discuss these theories and techniques with just one person by helping that one person identify their role in their own family and then help the client figure out how to find balance or whatever the specific therapy is helping with. I’ll use structural therapy as an example. One of the techniques is called reframing. “In reframing, the therapist helps the family change their view of themselves from one that is narrow and negative to a picture that is more positive and flexible.” (Murdock, 2017, p. 418) I see no reason why this same kind of intervention can’t be used with an individual trying to figure out their role in their family or their career, or any other aspect in their life. Another intervention used is boundary making, which “involves tactics that create better boundaries within a family system.”(Murdock, 2017, p. 419) Having healthy boundaries is important in more than just families and it would be very beneficial for individuals to be able to have the capability to establish healthy boundaries with others in their lives and to be able to set what boundaries they are comfortable with for themselves. 

In this assignment, you will defend the application of the mandated reporting laws in the following scenario. Be sure to carefully review the following scenario before responding. The parents of Joseph, who just celebrated his 14th birthday, have found out that their son will probably be failing some of his classes. Joseph’s parents are concerned that he may not earn sufficient credits to pass his freshman year of high school and ask the school to determine whether he has learning problems. The school refers him for a psychoeducational evaluation. The parents pay close attention as the school provides them with an informed consent listing all the assessments that will be administered. These include measures of general ability, memory functions, abstract reasoning skills, other neuropsychological functioning, and academic achievement levels. Once they understood that the assessment will be limited to the areas indicated, Joseph’s parents sign the informed consent and after the assessment, they are provided the results in a written report. Soon afterward, Joseph’s parents receive a visit from protective services. Apparently, during the evaluation process, Joseph introduced the topic of sexual orientation and confided to school personnel that his father would probably kill him if he found out about Joseph’s sexual orientation. The parents are furious and threaten to sue the school district. As the principal of the school, write a letter to defend the actions of the assessment team--even if you believe that the assessors overreacted. In your letter to Joseph’s parents, indicate the rules of your state regarding mandatory reporting. Explain how you would justify the actions of the assessment team since they believed Joseph’s health and safety could have been jeopardized. Indicate why a report to protective services is mandated by law and not optional. Justify that even though an interview was not included in the signed informed consent, Joseph disclosed the information on his own and once disclosed, action was required. For your protection, be sure to cite the APA Code of Ethics regarding informed consent and disclosures. You also need to cite the specific reporting laws for Oklahoma that justified the report. Remember that a successful letter will reduce the likelihood that the parents will proceed with a lawsuit. Support your assignment with citations from the APA Code of Ethics and the laws of Oklahoma. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included. Length: 2-3 page letter, not including title and reference page; Be sure to include a summary of the relevant Oklahoma laws and the APA ethics code for the parents.