The identified patient in this family is Denise. She came to you at the “insistence of her parents.” They believe that she is the problem. She poses as the poster child in other words, “the one with the problem.” She is the symptom barrier of the dysfunctional family. The symptom is the focus is on her and it’s probably due to the fact of her father’s lack of presence. She becomes the problem to distract her parents from their own problem and to unite them. Although Denise is the identified patient but she may not be the problem. She may act out in an attempt to maintain homeostasis.
3. Denise’s family are following covert rules. Everyone in the house has to do it Mom’s way or you get abuse. These rules are unspoken and tend to be rigid because they’re not open for discussion or negotiation.
4. There’s circular causality in this family meaning everyone’s behavior affect each other. In other words, it doesn’t matter where the problem is. It could be Dad, Mom, younger sister or Denise. We can look at anyone and will still be able to cover the bases. It’s an ongoing cycle. Dad’s mood swings can affect all of them and can lead to bigger