Family Therapy Assessment and Intervention Planning

This assignment provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate your capacity to apply practice
theories as a guide to assessment and intervention planning. Select a theoretical model of
family therapy discussed in this course. Intergenerational family therapy, strategic family therapy, structural family therapy, Experiential family therapy, Brief and solution-focused family therapy, Collaborative and narrative family therapies, Cognitive behavioural family therapy, Explain why you chose this model and give an evidence-based rationale.

Use a client family with whom you are working or have worked. You do not need to be seeing
the entire family. If you are not seeing a client family, you may complete this assessment using
an individual client. To do this, first write up what you know about the family from what the client
has told you. You likely know more about the family than you think you do. For facts that are
missing and are critical to the completion of the assignment, use hypothetical “facts” based on
educated guesses that fit the context of the client’s life. If you have too little information about a
family to complete even the first step, ask the professor for alternatives ideas.
This assignment should be no longer than 6 pages, formatted using APA 7th edition and using 4
unique references.

Introduction (~1/2 page):
1. Describe your (agency) setting and your role with the family (1 sentence).
2. Briefly sketch your client family, describing salient demographics, cultural/racial background,
appearance, demeanor, and manner with you and others.
3. Briefly summarize reasons for the referral to you and any significant presenting problems in
order of their priority for problem-solving. Which are recent? Which are more persistent?

Assessment (~2.5 pages):
1. Select 4 of the following 8 family dimensions to assess the family: (a) caregiver/parent-child
relationship, (b) therapeutic alliance, (c) family communication style, (d) parenting style, (e)
couple relationship, (f) family-social system interaction, (g) child/children in the family
context, (h) trans-generational issues.
2. Using the theoretical model of your choice, describe the family through that lens. Comment
on how well or poorly your model helps you to discuss the family issues of concern to you
(e.g., is your model comprehensive, specific?).
For example: If you select structural family therapy, you might want to discuss the
family in terms of concepts such as hierarchy, power, boundaries, roles, coalitions,
and/or interactional sequences (you do not need to cover every one of these; at the
same time, remember that this is not a total list.)

Formulation (~1/2 page):
1. Describe one target problem in this family from the perspective of your chosen model. In
systems language, discuss your clinical impressions about why the problem exists, how it
maintains itself, and what it may represent or express in this family.
Intervention/Treatment Plan & Analysis (~2.5 pages):
1. Using your chosen model, discuss (a) at least two goals for addressing the identified family
problem you selected for the formulation and the methods used for collaborating with the
family in determining goals and treatment methods, (b) steps you would take to achieve
these goals (if you wish, you could provide sample dialogue but this is not required), (c)
methods to evaluate progress, and (d) potential effects your intervention will have at various
systems levels.