Week 9 Application Assignment: Psychodynamic Theory and Family Counseling Overview Think about the poten

Week 9 Application Assignment: Psychodynamic Theory and Family Counseling

Overview

Think about the potential differences between counseling couples and families and counseling individuals. What knowledge might you glean from a couple or family in counseling that you cannot garner from working with an individual? What types of interventions or approaches can you institute with a couple or family in counseling that you cannot with an individual?

This week, you will learn about the family as a system. Understanding the systems process in a family is fundamental to the counseling process. You will evaluate the use of psychodynamic theory and the associated techniques.

In this assignment, you will discuss the process of psychodynamic family counseling and Bowen’s transgenerational approach. You will describe the common techniques used by psychodynamic theorists and provide support for their use in marriage, couple, and family counseling. You should also review all supplemental materials, and use the rubrics as guides to help you complete the assignment. This assignment will count toward your final grade and is due by Day 4, and is worth 75 points.

Directions

Review this week’s Learning Resources and think about the different types of psychodynamic family counseling. Also think about the techniques used by psychodynamic theorists. Consider the learning resources and respond to the following:

• Psychodynamic approaches have been criticized for having a strong historical focus, the concern being families may focus on their history rather than present issues and problems. What are the advantages and disadvantages of only focusing on an historical approach?

• How would Murray Bowen or Nathan Ackerman respond to this criticism?

• Make a strong case for the value of genograms in therapeutic work.

• Reflect on your own transgenerational families and provide a reflection about how the concepts of psychodynamic theory fit for your family of origin.

Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling

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Rubric Assignment 1 This assignment is worth 75 points.

Category Points

15-14 13-12 11-10 9-0

Accuracy of responses Question 1

15 points

Questions are accurately and thoroughly answered

Questions are partially accurate but most to all are answered

Answers are more inaccurate than accurate OR many are unanswered

Answers are completely inaccurate or missing.

15-14 13-12 11-10 9-0

Accuracy of responses Question 2

15 points

Questions are accurately and thoroughly answered

Questions are partially accurate but most to all are answered

Answers are more inaccurate than accurate OR many are unanswered

Answers are completely inaccurate or missing.

10-9 8-8 7-7 6-0

Accuract of responses Question 3

10 points

Questions are accurately and thoroughly answered

Questions are partially accurate but most to all are answered

Answers are more inaccurate than accurate OR many are unanswered

Answers are completely inaccurate or missing.

25-23 22-20 19-18 17-0

Reflection

25 points

Shows strong evidence of reasoned reflection and depth.

Shows evidence of reasoned reflection.

Minimal reasoned reflection

Lacks reflection and depth.

10-9 8 7 6-0

Mechanics

10 points

No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors

Almost no grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors

Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors

Numerous grammatical and punctuation errors