Reflective Essay: What´s Structural Family Therapy?

As a therapist, it is essential that a model of therapy is chosen that not only can be administered successfully and confidently by the therapist, but also meets the client(s) needs. There can be many factors that can contribute to this decision: family dynamics, whether it is a family or couple, culture, and even the general concepts of the therapy. In this essay I will explain a model of therapy I relate to and have used the most, as well as several others which I believe are equally successful. I have worked in the realm of juvenile justice for over seven years and as such encounter several families struggling as a result of one main issue…boundaries. This issue has created an environment which has made me very comfortable utilizing the structural family model of therapy. Utilized by therapists such as Salvador Minuchin and Charles Fishman, structural family therapy focuses on the dynamics of a family as a whole. The …show more content…
These factors provide the therapist with a general idea of the couple’s degree of reactivity, strength of commitment, openness, and even trust level. Once identified, the therapy becomes very client centered with a focus on empathy, re-engagement, reflection, and validation. Ultimately a couple’s goal should be to experience their own needs, fears, and emotions while being able to constructively express them to their partner in a healthy manner. With so many models to choose from, it can seem overwhelming to someone just starting out in the realm of family therapy. Ultimately, the model of family therapy utilized can impact how the family or couple reacts to the therapist, how invested they become, and the likelihood of a successful outcome. That being said, it is imperative that the appropriate model be chosen based on the criteria previously mentioned: knowledge, confidence, and