Overview
In preparation for this assignment watch a television show episode or film of your choosing that depicts a character who is coping with active addiction.
Imagine that the character becomes involved with the legal system as a result of their drug use, and they have subsequently been mandated by the court to attend treatment for addiction where you work.
Select at least 2 peer reviewed articles or textbooks from family therapy literature to discuss how they would assess this client family, conceptualize this case, and work systemically with the client who is coping with addiction and their primary relationships (family, partner, chosen family, etc.).
Respond to each of the following questions based on the television show/film:
- What barriers (cultural, financial, social, systemic, emotional, etc.) might make it difficult for this “client” to seek addiction treatment on their own without being mandated?
- What relational factors may contribute to this “client’s” resistance to the idea of therapy for their addiction?
- When thinking about contextual factors such as race/ethnicity, class, socio-economic status, or other factors, do you think the “client” would experience addiction differently if they were a different race/ethnicity/gender identity/sexual orientation/social class?
- Describe how you would work with one of the characters in the film (as an individual) if he/she/they presented to therapy regarding issues related to addictions. How would you utilize Motivational Interviewing to increase engagement in treatment? How would you approach working with him/her/they in order to roll with their resistance and bridge any cultural gaps?
- What theory would you use when working with the family in the show/film? If you were the therapist assigned to the case, how would you assess this case, conceptualize the presenting problem from the chosen model’s systemic perspective? What techniques or interventions would you use from this model, in addition to Motivational Interviewing? This section requires citations from family therapy texts or peer reviewed articles.
please use narrative family therapy