Sunday, December 15, 2019

How do you assess one's family genogram using Solution Focused theory to critically examine the family issues that may affect your professional use of self in practice and your (and/or family members') social and psychological functioning?

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) employs multiple strategies, including "expectations" (also called "small miracles") to arrive at client-generated solutions to therapeutic problems. To assess—meaning to weigh up and identify importance or significance within something—your family genogram by applying the particulars of the SFBT approach means to think in terms of small-miracle relationship solutions that may already exist in your experience and that can be built into a solution process to produce a therapeutic outcome for you. To critically examine the family issues visually represented in your genogram means to look closely at details to identify key facts and important aspects of your relationships in order to identify effects on your social and psychological functioning. This examination facilitates the integration of your genuine, authentic self into your practice through "use of self," which is using your own skills, knowledge, beliefs, and experiences as a bridge to therapeutic relationship and as a therapeutic tool (Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics). A genogram is a three-generational relationship and inter-relational dynamics map. It visually represents genetic relationships within a family group and the social and psychological dynamics that exist and that drive interactions within the family group. SFBT is an approach that focuses on solutions that therapy clients can discover within themselves and within their family dynamics. The language of SFBT centers on solutions and strengths, and, while other approaches focus on disrupting problematic action/interaction patterns, SFBT focuses on the process of building solution patterns (Encyclopedia of Social Work). A genogram provides a critical tool for identifying problem-inducing family patterns and for searching out solutions that produce therapeutic outcomes. "Use of self" is the practice of using self-awareness of your own personality traits, belief systems, skills, knowledge, values, ethnic and other experiences, and family dynamics in a therapeutic setting to attain clear "goal negotiations" to achieve "the client’s vision of solutions" (Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy).
RESOURCES
"Use of Self in Social Work: Rhetoric or Reality." Journal of Social Work Values and Ethics.
Mo Yee Lee, "Solution-Focused Brief Therapy." Encyclopedia of Social Work.
Yvonne Dolan, M.A., "What is Solution-Focused Therapy?" Institute for Solution-Focused Therapy.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/solution-focused-brief-therapy

https://www.socialworker.com/feature-articles/field-placement/An_Introduction_to_Use_of_Self_in_Field_Placement/


A genogram is a representation of family relationships that goes beyond a typical family tree by showing emotional , behavioral, and psychological factors that characterize relationships. Family genograms may be used in social work to better understand family dynamics and recognize relational patterns.
In the context of solution focused therapy, a family genogram would be used only to the extent that it may shed light on the current problem that someone is trying to solve. Unlike Freudian psychoanalysis that focuses on delving into an individual’s past, solution focused theory concentrates on the present and future. This goal-oriented approach is often called solution focused brief therapy because the therapy is no longer needed once the problem has been dealt with satisfactorily.   
Social workers may find it enlightening to analyze their own family issues that may affect their professional use of self, meaning the integration of one’s knowledge, values, and skills acquired through social work education and one’s personal traits, beliefs, culture, experiences, etc. Being aware of one’s use of self can lend greater authenticity to a social worker’s practice. From a solution focused therapy approach, if a social worker’s goal is to better understand his or her family relationships, a genogram may be a useful tool for doing so. The genogram may reveal relationship patterns that the therapist identifies with personally or issues that are absent from one’s personal experience. An analysis of the genogram may also help a social worker recognize areas of personal bias or issues that could lead to countertransference, or emotional entanglement, with a client.

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