THERAPEUTIC GOALS AND TECHNIQUES IN FAMILY AND MARITAL THERAPY

Negotiation and Fairness

• Seeking mutually satisfying resolution to conflict.
• Accepting change.
• Being willing to compromise.

Economic Partnership

• Making money decisions together.
• Make sure both partners benefit from financial arrangements.

Non-Threatening Behavior

• Talking and acting so that your partner feels comfortable and safe in expressing themselves and doing things.

Respect

• Listening to your partner non-judgmentally.
• Being emotionally affirming and understanding.
• Valuing options.

Shared Responsibility

• Mutually agreeing on a fair distribution of work.
• Making family decisions together.

Responsible Parenting

• Sharing parental responsibilities.
• Being a positive, non-violent role model for the children.

Trust and Support

• Supporting your partner’s goals in life.
• Respecting your partner’s right to their own feelings, friends, activities and options.

Honesty and Accountability

• Accepting responsibility for self.
• Acknowledging past use of violence.
• Admitting being wrong.
• Communicating openly and truthfully.
Techniques in Systems Family Therapy

1. Systems approach.
2. Behavioral approach—specific behaviors. Pin-pointing and clarifying maladaptive behaviors, not attitudes.
3. What is the reinforcement (payoff) for each person in the family in terms of behavior?
4. What is being exchanged for behaviors and what has this medium of exchange (reinforcement) changed?
5. New reinforcement (payoff) for desired goal or behavior.
6. Contracting skills.
7. Goals should be stated positively; needs should also be stated positively. Creating positive exchange between family members. Drive out negative interactions.
8. Family inventory.
9. Define problem as a family problem; no blaming.
10. How does the problem affect each family member?
11. How does each family member contribute to the problem? Getting agreement on this is important, but difficult.
12. Point out everyone is stuck in the same problem.
13. Problems occur after a sudden change occurs, creating crisis in the family (ex. new baby, father leaves, job loss or financial problems, illness or death, etc.).
14. Specific technique—individuals first diagnose what the problems are.
15. Process of being together.
16. Use the mom and dad role.
17. Switch sides to defend one side or the other. Alter ego-ing.
18. Role reversal.