Authors: Seamus Corcoran.
This paper is presented as a case study of a family referred by an Addiction Counsellor. This case study provides a working summary of an integrative, psychodynamic approach to systemic family therapy. The approach integrates Object Relations’ theory (relevant to addiction treatment) within an interpersonal/psychoanalytic approach to family therapy. A family assessment will be provided and an analysis of the family dynamics offered using a multi-contextual framework that takes into account family lifecycle, family of origin, relational working models and sociocultural factors. Bowen's therapeutic model for families is also applied as a diagnostic tool and integrated as part of an overall treatment method. This paper will include appropriate interventions for conflict resolution whilst including a flexible and broad scope treatment plan. This paper reflects on the therapist’s conceptualization of problematic system functioning and the strategies utilized to help the family grow beyond current and repetitive patterns of distress. The treatment plan for the family focuses on increasing differentiation of family members, recognizing and resolving traumatic stress, the implementing of mourning tasks for moving effectively through the family’s unresolved grief process and emotional processing sequences for enhancing parent/child bonds, connections and recalibrating the repositioning of life stage appropriations within the family structure.
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