Respond to at least one of your colleagues' postings in one or more of the following ways:

• Ask a probing question.
• Share an insight from having read your colleague's posting.
• Offer and support an opinion.
• Make a suggestion.
• Expand on your colleague's posting.

Colleague 1:

Family Description

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been together for 20 years and married for 15. They have three children, all boys, ages 16, 14, and 11. Mr. Smith is full indigenous (both of his parents were indigenous) and Mrs. Smith is white Caucasian, and the boys are half indigenous. Mr. smith's father passed away 5 years ago of a heart attack and his mother passed away suddenly during COVID-19. Since his mother's death Mr. Smith struggles to leave the home and there has been a decrease in communication between them, resulting in them sometimes ignoring each other for days. Mrs. Smith has expressed frustration with Mr. Smith as she cannot understand why he cannot leave the home, resulting with her taking on all the childcare responsibilities, such as getting the boys to their hockey games even when they are out of town. Mr. Smith feels that his wife constantly nags him to do things when he is not ready. They have talked about separating but decided to try counselling first.

Treatment Plan

The treatment plan for this couple will include Cognitive behavioural couples therapy (CBCT), Solution-focused therapy (SFT) and Narrative therapy. This plan will help address patterns of communication, re-author their stories and help them focus on problem-solving as opposed to blaming each other.

Cognitive behavioural couples therapy (CBCT) will help the Smith's evaluate how they are communicating; help correct patterns of communication and refocus what is important to them in their relationship (Beck Institute, n.d). CBCT is flexible and can be modified to assist couples with a variety of life challenges (Gurman, Lebow & Snyder, 2015). CBCT will support this family in better understanding why some people can adjust to life transitions better than others. It will help detect strengths and weaknesses in their relationship while using their strengths to build a stronger relational foundation (Cognitive Behavior Associates, 2021).

Solution-focused therapy will help this couple remain in the present while focusing on times in their relationship when the problem did not exist. SFT will further support this couple in problem-solving as opposed to focusing on blaming each other for the problem (Gurman, Lebow & Snyder, 2015).

Narrative therapy will provide a means for this couple to tell their story, stories that have shaped and influenced their lives and how they see their world around them. Narrative therapy helps to separate the individual from the problem (Clarke, 2023). It will further help couples realize that their problem is something they have not something they are (Psychology Today, n.d).

The treatment plan is justified for this couple as it will provide them with the skills to improve their communication, focus on a time when the problem did not exist and the positive aspects of their relationship at that time (Beck Institute, n.d), and help them learn how to retell their story in a more positive manner so they see that they are not their problem (Clarke, 2023).

Conceptualizing the Couple's Problem

Mr. and Mrs. Smith are struggling to focus on the present and are unable to problem-solve together, resulting in Mrs. Smith blaming Mr. Smith for not helping more with childcare. Mr. Smith's lead narrative comes from him telling himself that he cannot leave the home because something bad may happen. This is causing Mrs. Smith's level of anxiety to increase because she is left to ensure that the children get to their appointments with none to little support from Mr. Smith.

Short-term and Long-term Goals

Long-term:

Over the next six months, with weekly or bi-weekly therapy sessions (to be determined collaboratively) and with the use of narrative therapy, Mr. Smith will develop a better understanding of where his fears originated, and he will stop allowing his problems to define him.

Short-term:

Over the next three months, with the use of SFT and CBCT Mr. and Mrs. Smith will attend bi-weekly couple's therapy. They will remain focused on the present and will develop a more positive way of communicating and will adjust to their current life transition by supporting one another and stop blaming each other for their problems.

References

Beck Institute. (n.d). A cognitive-behavioral approach to relationships. https://beckinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/A-Cognitive-Behavioral-Approach-to-Relationships.pdfLinks to an external site..

Clarke, M. (2023, May 5). How narrative therapy works. https://www.verywellmind.com/narrative-therapy-4172956Links to an external site.

Cognitive Behavior Associates. (2021, June 28). Couples therapy. https://www.cognitivebehaviorassociates.com/couples-therapy/#:~:text=CBT%20for%20couples%20therapy%20is%20very%20effective%20for,or%20feelings%20in%20order%20to%20create%20positive%20changeLinks to an external site.

Gurman, A. S.,Lebow, J. L.,Snyder, D. K. (2015).Clinical handbook of couple therapy. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Psychology Today. (n.d). Narrative therapy. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/narrative-therapyLinks to an external site.

Colleague 2:

Post a brief description of the couple or family case. Explain the theories and theory-based interventions to couples and families experiencing life transition and developmental issues you will apply to this case.

John and Sarah, a married couple in their mid-40s, sought therapy after Sarah was diagnosed with cancer. The diagnosis had triggered emotional distress, communication challenges, and uncertainty about the future. In therapy, they navigated the complexities of coping with illness, addressing fears, and building a supportive framework to strengthen their relationship during this challenging time. The therapy process focused on enhancing coping mechanisms, fostering open communication, and establishing a resilient foundation through affective communication and attachment theory for the couple to face the emotional and practical aspects of the cancer journey together. John and Sarah, facing the challenge of Sarah's cancer diagnosis, encounter developmental issues encompassing crisis management, coping mechanisms, communication skills, and adjustments to roles and responsibilities.

• Develop and justify treatment plans for the fictional couple or family experiencing life transition and developmental issues.

The treatment plan for John and Sarah, drawing from attachment theory, narrative therapy, and affective communication, start first with an assessment of individual attachment styles and current communication patterns. Psychoeducation on attachment theory is used to highlight the potential impact of these patterns on their responses to the life transition and illness. The intervention includes emotional regulation skills training, affective communication sessions, and attachment-informed couple/family therapy, all geared towards fostering a secure emotional base, improving communication, and addressing any attachment ruptures that may arise during therapy. Narrative therapy is integrated to construct a shared narrative around the life transition, empowering the couple to reframe challenges and collaboratively envision a meaningful future.(Rajaei, A. et al 2021) The plan also incorporates supportive interventions for attachment security and future planning to align individual and shared goals in the face of uncertainty, providing a holistic approach to enhance their emotional connection and adaptive coping.

This treatment plan is justified by the understanding that attachment dynamics play a pivotal role in how individuals navigate stress and relationships. (Calkins, & Brock, 2022) By addressing attachment patterns and implementing affective communication strategies, the plan aims to strengthen the couple's emotional bond, provide a secure foundation for coping with the challenges of illness, and promote resilience throughout the life transition. (Leo, K. et al. 2023) The integrative approach recognizes the interplay between emotional bonds and effective communication in fostering overall well-being and adaptability during significant life changes.

• Conceptualize the couple's or family's problem through your chosen theoretical orientation.

John and Sarah's challenge, viewed through the combined lenses of narrative therapy, attachment theory, and affective communication, involves a dominant narrative shaped by the distress of Sarah's cancer diagnosis. Narrative therapy emphasizes the need to collaboratively reconstruct a narrative that acknowledges the challenges of illness while highlighting their strengths and shared aspirations. Attachment theory plays a key role in understanding their responses to stress, prompting an exploration of how individual attachment styles influence emotional reactions. Affective communication becomes pivotal in reshaping their narrative, fostering open expression of fears and needs, and making a secure emotional base for coping with the complexities of the illness. The integrative approach aims to empower the couple to co-create a new narrative emphasizing resilience, connection, and shared meaning amidst adversity.

• Design a treatment plan including short- and long-term goals

Short-term Goal: Enhance the couple's communication skills within the next two months through weekly affective communication sessions, fostering a safe space for expressing emotions and concerns related to Sarah's diagnosis. This goal aims to immediately improve their ability to support each other during the initial phases of the life transition.

Long-term Goal: Over the next six months, collaboratively construct a shared narrative that reframes their experience with illness, highlighting resilience, shared strengths, and a sense of purpose. This goal focuses on using Narrative Therapy to reshape the overarching storyline of their relationship, promoting a positive and adaptive outlook as they navigate the challenges and uncertainties associated with Sarah's ongoing treatment and recovery.

References

Calkins, F. C., & Brock, R. L. (2022). Attachment anxiety and avoidance predict postnatal partner support through impaired affective communication. Journal of Marriage & Family, 84(2), 515-532. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12806

Leo, K., Langer, S. L., Porter, L. S., Ramos, K., Romano, J. M., Baucom, D. H., & Baucom, B. R. W. (2023). Couples communication and cancer: Sequences and trajectories of behavioral affective processes in relation to intimacy. Journal of Family Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001178.supp (Supplemental)

Rajaei, A., Brimhall, A. S., Jensen, J. F., Schwartz, A. J., & Torres, E. T. (2021). Striving to Thrive: A Qualitative Study on Fostering a Relational Perspective Through Narrative Therapy in Couples Facing Cancer. American Journal of Family Therapy, 49(4), 392-408. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2020.1820402