FAMILY SYSTEM THERAPY Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

FAMILY SYSTEM THERAPY - Term Paper Example II. First Set of Questions. Who is the main theorist? ?What are major concepts, strengths, and weaknesses? ?How does this theory best fit with your value system and personal beliefs? ?What population do you hope to work with (e.g., chemically dependent, domestic violence, families, general mental health, severely mentally ill, etc.)? Why do you think the theory is the best choice for this population? (505 words) ? The main theorist on whom we are going to focus is Epstein. His idea was the McMaster Model of Family Functioning. According to Barker (2007), â€Å"The McMaster Model of Family Functioning addresses the current functioning of the family [than worrying about the past or present developmental stage, [including]: 1) problem solving; 2) communication; 3) roles; 4) affective responsiveness; 5) affective involvement; and 6) behavioral control† (pp. 51). There are six major concepts that have been mentioned that clients must work on in therapy in order to reach their thera py goals. The major strengths of this model is that clients will begin to see success almost immediately if they begin to work in therapy with this particular model. The major weaknesses of this model is that it does not integrate the past or the future into therapy. This could be detrimental for a number of reasons, one reason being that the client must able to have a sense of where he must go and where he has been in order to know how to act in the present. This is a major flaw in the model. However, this theory best fits with my own value system and personal beliefs, because it is my strong belief that a client must deal with how he or she is functioning within the family. I hope to work with populations that suffer from mental illness. I definitely believe that the family has a lot to do with how the mentally ill receive their care. According to Rasheed, Marley, & Rasheed (2010), â€Å"†¦data began to indicate that the locus of pathology was in the context of the family, a nd not simply the afflicted individual† (pp. 213). Also, I am concerned about the fact that people only tend to seek therapy when things are falling apart in the family. According to Carr (2006), â€Å"[People often] seek therapy because they feel that they have grown apart and cannot communicate with each other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 405). Dealing with mental illness can be a tough challenge, especially because of the societal malaise associated with mental illness and the people who suffer from it. According to McBride (2006), There are some â€Å"†¦stigma and misunderstandings associated with mental illness† (pp. 63). Families must realize how to care for their family members, depending on the type of mental illness that is at the core of the issue. According to Barry and Farmer (2002), â€Å"[It is important to identify] the core value of mental health...care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pp. 43). There are several drawbacks and setbacks that can affect the clients if they donà ¢â‚¬â„¢t receive proper treatment. Mental illness can wreak havoc on a family’s finances and drain its energies. According to Abosh and Collins (1996), â€Å"Families experience chronic emotional distress from the episodic disruptions caused by the illness† (pp. 68). Truly, the family must pull together when someone in the family is thought to have or is diagnosed with a mental illness, because all members of the family are needed to be supportive at that time. Family issues