Liberty University
COUN 601: Marriage and Family Counseling 1
October 10, 2014
The Structural Approach to Family Therapy
“Over the past twenty years psychotherapy and family therapy have been inundated with a plethora of empirically validated treatments for particular disorders” (Breulin, D.C., Pinsof, W., Russell, W.P., & Lebow, J., 2001. p. 293). (Breulin et al., 2001) suggest that psychotherapist will ultimately require to integrating empirical data and multicultural competence into their practice. Rather than specific models of therapy, elements common across models of therapy and common to the process itself are responsible for therapeutic change. According to the text, Minuchin describes …show more content…
This movement stemmed from those who were frustrated by the limitations of traditional psychiatry, the families, and the problems with juvenile delinquency (Goldenberg and Goldenberg, 2013). During the 1950s and the early 1960s, therapist came across individuals who repelled against traditional methods of counseling. Minuchin found that he needed a model of change where he saw inner-city delinquent children who roamed their school hallways and were troublesome. Structural therapy was birthed through three factors: the difficult population that Minuchin was working with; timing; and the collaboration with other …show more content…
I enjoyed learning about the code of ethics and how it relates to Christian counseling, couples therapy, confidentiality, informed consent, privileged communication, and maintaining professional competence. Working in the field I am able to relate to certain situations in which I questioned what to do in regards to what was ethical or not.
For example, I had a client who was being raised by her grandmother since she was 3 years old. Before I went to her grandmothers’ house for our initial session I received a phone call from the client’s father. He was unsure the reasons for her receiving treatment however I was not sure if I was speaking to the biological father or not. As a result, I contacted the office and the grandmothers to validate his identity and made sure a release of information was signed to speak with