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Family Therapy

1
Aspects of Experiential and Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy Applied
Godzilla
Family Systems Theory
Monster University
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Aspects of Experiential and Cognitive-Behavioral Family Therapy Applied
Family therapy has traversed a varied and undulating path, while being influence by a
multitude of psychological models. Ally& Bacon (1998a) describe various aspects of
psychodynamic and humanistic theory, other individual psychology approaches, marriage
counseling, child guidance, social psychology, group dynamics, and more in-depth foci on
family structures and processes. Two categories of therapies will receive focus in this paper:
Experiential Family Therapy and Cognitive-Behavioral therapies, both of which draw heavily
from theories which focus primarily on the individual.
Virginia Satir's approach to Experiential Family Therapy will be examined. The goal will
to present a summary of some of the highlights, rather than an exhaustive examination. Certain
aspects of general Cognitive and Behavioral psychology will be noted. One main objective will
be to draw from these therapies while presenting a brief approach to family counseling unique to
this paper. The main concepts of this approach will be applied to a case study of a family unit.
There will admittedly be a limited treatment of the more complex systemic family therapies. This
will hopefully provide an interesting overview of a creative synthesis of ideas, and a general
application of individual and family therapeutic strategies.
Satir's Experiential/Humanistic Overview
Virginia Satir was a pioneer in the field of experiential family therapy. Satir's work has
received both commendation for its compassion and criticism for its lack of scientific
underpinning (Family Therapy, 2006). Her beliefs were considered to be counter to the then
prevalent emphasis on scientific research and theory development in family therapy circles
(Family Therapy, 1998). Nichols and Schwartz (2004) viewed the...