Here is the case and I would like to know the following for the case below.

Specifically, what will the assessment phase of counseling look like with this approach and this family? What is the presenting family concern/issue What is the family's stated goal(s) for counseling?

Is your goal(s) for counseling different from their stated goal

How does this theory conceptualize/frame the family's issues (review theoretical formulations) Specifically, how will your theory create behavior change in this family? What techniques will you use with this family?

The Case

Jack and Diane are 46 years old. They have five children, two boys ages 11 and 15; and three girls, ages 16, 12 and 9. Jack and Diane have undergraduate college degrees. Jack has worked in the finance industry as a white-collar worker for 22 years. He is second in command at his current organization. His current annual income from that job is approximately $150K.Jack also, more recently, works a second FT job, where he makes another $40K annually as an overnight security guard. He has an 80-hour workweek. He sleeps only a few hours a day, between jobs and after dinner with the kids. Diane has worked as an assembly line worker at an industrial plant for 15 years. She held other jobs before this job and has always worked FT. She is regarded as indispensable by her colleagues and boss due to her need for things to be done right/self-assessed perfectionism and the 60+ hours she puts in weekly. She makes approximately $60K annually.

Jack and Diane met in college and have had a close, loving and respectful relationship since. While the trust and respect is gone for Diane, she asserts that she loves her husband deeply. They have been married for 24 years. Their wake-time consists of working and most all other time is spent attending their childrens' sporting events. Dinner is quickly shared only some evenings, as Diane usually works through dinner. She asserts that her projects have deadlines and she is the only one who can insure they are completed on time and correctly. Jack works 5a-4p at the financial firm, attends to the kids 4-7p including dinner and rides to some events, then sleeps at 7p when Diane arrives home around 7p; and rises to go to his second job at 10p. Often Jack and the kids eat without Diane. Diane works 7a (after getting the kids set for school) and returns home between 7p-midnight. Most weekends are spent together as a family at various kids sporting competitions. Jack manages the family finances.

Jack was raised in a 'tight knit' intact family, with six kids, who grew up supportive and often together at sporting events, and enjoying family dinners every night. Jack states he wants to repeat this family environment in his current family. Jack, Diane, and kids have dinner weekly with Jacks family. Jacks family of origin "was not wealthy but were comfortable." Diane mentions, with concern, the heavy use of cannabis among the family members at gatherings. Jack dismisses this use as not detrimental, but relaxing.

Diane grew up in a distant family, with two other sisters, and an absent father due to long work hours. She has memories of "regular screaming between parents behind closed doors." She states they had little money, which created much stress for her mother. Her mom regularly stated to the girls that in their futures, they needed to have jobs and control of the family income to be happy.

Presenting concern:

• Jack placed the initial call to a therapist, stating he "screwed up, loved his wife more than anything, would do anything necessary to keep her, and needed help to gain her confidence back."
• Two months ago, Diane discovered that their once full bank accounts had been drained, after she opened a letter regarding foreclosure on their home.
• Unbeknown to her, Jack lost his job three years ago. He faked going to work believing he would locate another job soon.
• He took out lines of credit in both of their names to cover bills.
• He searched daily to replace the significant salaried job he had lost and finally located his current position two years ago.
• He took the second job four months ago to help pay off the bills more quickly.
• Over their 24-year marriage, there have been various betrayals of Diane's trust by Jack when he hid marijuana, used 'to relax', which, when confronted by Diane often, he stated that he no longer used; and once previous when he drained the family bank account (yet rebuilt it).

In the first session, Jack stated that his primary concern was maintaining his marriage and family, and gaining back his wife's trust. In the first session, Diane stated that she "loved Jack but was not sure her trust could be built back again." She stated that her primary concern was how to handle this situation, and potential divorce, with the kids so they could control the negative impact on the kids. She is also concerned that their eldest son and daughter are showing signs of hiding illicit drug and alcohol use. Jack dismisses this and claims, "This is typical teenage behavior." While she would like to consider staying in the marriage, Diane does not believe she can learn to trust again after their history of micro betrayals and this recent devastating betrayal.

Jack presents in counseling as "not trusting the counseling process, yet, here because of no other apparent options." He states a willingness to "do anything to maintain the marriage" yet, when pressed for recognition of his wife's request for his to give up the cannabis, he states he will "agreed to divorce but not give up the smoke because it is not an issue." A few sentences later, he again states he will do anything to keep the family and marriage together. His ability to have clear cognitive processing seems intact. His face seems overly red in color. His posture is slumped; he stares off often in session and states he is tired. His voice is often agitated in response to Diane and the counselor.

Diane presents as hypersensitive to counseling and the presenting issues being discussed (worried look on face with furrowed brow). Both Jack and Diane speak of Diane's tendency toward "OCD"presented as her need for things to be in order and to have control mostly regarding work and the care of the children. She brings up concern for the kids often, which Jack dismisses mostly. Her skin tone appears smooth, and her posture is straight. Her ability to have clear cognitive processing seems intact, yet, she often uses verbal and body language that asserts confusion with what to do in the present counseling discussion.

The couple often sit at opposite ends of the couch and do not face one another; however, they speak of a deep love, therefore, presenting this physical distance as acceptable (not a concern) to both. They have had six scheduled appointments with the counselor, three of which were canceled by Jack on the day of counseling for various reasons. The counselor refers them to you due to a need to attend to an emergency family/personal crisis.