Introduction
Dallas is a young man of African American descent; he is the second-oldest of four brothers in a family raised by his single mother, Kim. Dallas seeks psychological help, wanting to address feelings of hostility towards his family, feeling that he has been treated differently from his siblings. Dallas suffered from aggressive outbursts at school, leading to fights, juvenile detention, and dropping out of school.
As a child, Dallas visited a therapist who stated that he was a psychopath. At the age of 15, Dallas’s mother sent him to his father, Christopher Senior, in Utah, where he showed aggression towards people and animals and scared his father with a gun. Family therapy approaches are designed to address Dallas’s problem, improve his relationship with his family, and help him integrate into society.
Theory Application
Bowenian Family Therapy
Bowenian Family Therapy is an approach that involves maintaining patterns of behavior. Psychiatrist Murray Bowen argued that each family has a unique set of behavioral patterns that are inherited, leading to a constant repetition of conflicts on the same grounds (Darren & Watters, 2023). From this definition emerges a method that aims to establish healthy communication within the family and address inherited negative behaviors.
The approach is to encourage the formation of autonomy and healthy role relationships (Darren & Watters, 2023). In the described situation, the Bowenian approach can be practical, as it enables the therapist to identify the underlying causes of aggressive and antisocial behavior. The removal of the middle child from the family could be provoked by a parental approach that has unhealthy hereditary traits.
Bowenian Family Therapy can be effectively applied to the case of Dallas and his family since this approach best meets the needs of joint therapy. According to this model, family members should work together to resolve generational conflicts (Darren & Watters, 2023). It is necessary to determine whether there were previous manifestations of aggression towards people and animals in the family to identify the initial unhealthy pattern.
For therapy to yield results, a joint session with representatives of the older generation may be necessary (Darren & Watters, 2023). One reason for Dallas’s behavior may be the perceived indifference of his parents. Moving to his father could create in him a feeling of abandonment and rejection. It is helpful to trace, from the point of the Bowenian Theory, whether similar situations were observed in the family before.
The goal of Dallas’s therapy will be to reduce aggression, build relationships with parents and siblings, and reintegrate into social life. A psychologist practicing the Bowenian approach may use several methods to help clients. One of them is a genogram, a type of family tree that includes significant life events, marital status, and cause of death (Darren & Watters, 2023).
The genogram can be created at the beginning of therapy and used to supplement it throughout the treatment course. In this case, it may be essential to delve into the family history in detail and identify cases of divorce, aggression, antisocial behavior, and problems with the law to find the root of the problem. A psychologist can rely on genogram data to identify negative intergenerational behavioral patterns, which can be addressed through collaborative therapy (Darren & Watters, 2023). This intervention will help identify the source of antisocial behavior and foster an atmosphere of greater trust within the family, which will aid in increasing socialization in Dallas.
Another intervention that the Bowenian therapist can practice is emotion differentiation and self-differentiation. This intervention will enable Dallas to acknowledge and recognize his emotions, their causes, and their impact on his family members, as well as to distinguish between his own emotions and the projections of loved ones (Darren & Watters, 2023). The differentiation of emotions will enable individuals to realize their identity, role in the family, and gain a better understanding of themselves (Darren & Watters, 2023).
The family needs this kind of intervention, as Kim and Christopher Senior need to determine how they can establish clear authority roles and provide emotional support for their son. During the intervention, Dallas could become aware of what behavior his aggression is a reaction to and what effect it has on others. Differentiation of emotions will help strengthen healthy relationships and establish intra-family boundaries, which will improve the psycho-emotional position of Dallas.
Virginia Satir’s Communications Approach
Virginia Satir’s theory, like the Bowenian approach, addresses problems within family relationships. The approach is based on recognizing a reasonable motive through behavior and accepting the possibility of healing each person (Chambers et al., 2019). The basis of Satir’s approach is the importance of effective communication in impacting human well-being. Satir views therapy as an educational process that enables individuals to achieve greater integrity and resolve internal contradictions (Chambers et al., 2019). Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy (STST) was developed to improve family relationships by influencing emotions and perceptions (Chambers et al., 2019). The STST is a practical approach to dealing with challenging life situations because it focuses on the positive aspects of human nature.
The general goals of STST therapy can be described as helping to increase self-esteem, decision-making abilities, and internal responsibility. These aspects are addressed by raising awareness and searching for a hidden source of positive energy. STST is employed as an approach to family therapy because Satir recognizes the importance of addressing problems in family dynamics in helping individuals overcome difficulties (Chambers et al., 2019).
The family may benefit from this approach, as it is essential for a young person with a problem to base the therapy on focusing on the positives. With this therapeutic model, Dallas can get the recognition he lacks from his parents. In addition, STST will make him feel like a complete and equal member of the family, allowing the young person to learn to take responsibility.
The goals for Dallas’s therapy in the STST approach will be to develop responsibility and gain acceptance. The basis of the therapist’s approach, which utilizes STST, will be effective communication. To achieve this, the therapist may use a therapeutic role-play intervention that allows Dallas to practice the new behavior (Darren & Watters, 2023). The role-playing method will enable the young person to learn communication strategies, and the therapist will be able to identify which emotions in the relationship with parents should be addressed. Family members can also be included in role therapy to practice healthy interactions and emotional responses with the therapist’s assistance.
Family Sculpting can be another intervention that a practicing STST therapist can undertake. In the practical application of this technique, the therapist asks one of the family members to become a sculptor (Darren & Watters, 2023). At this time, the rest should take the positions indicated by the sculptor. The doctor in this process acts as a link that helps build figures according to plan.
After the sculptor takes a position, the psychologist comments on the resulting picture, which can be used as a diagnostic and therapeutic method (Darren & Watters, 2023). Dallas will be able to project the genuine emotions he feels towards loved ones, which he may find difficult to verbalize. The therapist may use this intervention to identify dynamic changes in the Dallas family pattern.
Sociocultural Attunement
Dallas’s anti-social behavior may be influenced by socio-cultural factors that are inextricably linked to his background and family history. Dallas’s family is large and was raised by a single mother. Such a family model may face economic hardships when a parent raises children alone (Cross, 2020). Dallas might get the impression that neither mother nor father pays him due attention.
In addition, it is not uncommon for children to feel responsible for the separation of their parents, which can often lead to mental problems (Dowling & Barnes, 2020). Dallas may have faced discrimination throughout his life due to his cultural background and being raised by a single mother. If such cases occurred, the child quickly formed a negative attitude towards the society around him.
For the harmonious development of children and adolescents, the influence of a positive society is essential, which primarily occurs within educational institutions. In the event of a violation of the educational process and communication with peers, the child may develop unhealthy patterns of behavior (Cross, 2020). In the described case, school education was not properly finished; it was disrupted by being in a correctional facility, and Dallas could also not form his social circle due to outbreaks of aggression. Moreover, the boy was forced to move at the age of 15, which could disrupt unstable social ties and provoke a deterioration in his condition in an unfamiliar environment. Dallas communicated with his father in the only way he thought he could be heard – through manifestations of aggression.
Dallas faced stigmatization of his mental state, beginning with the therapist’s words about his psychopathic tendencies. Subsequently, this line of stigmatization could be maintained in the family, where he could be treated differently due to his psychological state. Later, stigmatization was probably continued at school by teachers and students who observed aggressive behavior.
The last stage of stigmatization for Dallas was sending him to his father, which he could have perceived as a betrayal by his mother. Stigmatization made the process of social adaptation of a young person almost impossible due to the opposition of the outside world (Telesia et al., 2020). As a result, Dallas developed aggression as the only means of protection. After reflecting on his condition, but not understanding the valid reasons, Dallas continues to feel resentful and hostile towards the family, which led him to see a therapist.
Conclusion
The described family is dysfunctional, and therapy must address this problem in the family relationships and help Dallas cope with aggression. Bowen Family Therapy is the first therapeutic approach that aims to identify pathological inherited patterns and transform them into healthy family ties. The second potential approach is Satir Transformational System Therapy, which allows for the communication and distribution of roles and responsibilities. The reason for Dallas’s antisocial behavior may lie in the consequences of economic inequality, social discrimination, and the stigmatization of his mental state.
References
Chambers, A., Breunlin, D.C., & Lebow, J. (Eds.). (2019). Encyclopedia of couple and family therapy. Springer International Publishing.
Cross, C. J. (2020). Racial/ethnic differences in the association between family structure and children’s education. Journal of Marriage and Family, 82(2), 691-712.
Darren, A., & Watters, Y. (Eds.). (2023). Foundational concepts and models of family therapy: An introduction for online learning. Taylor & Francis.
Dowling, E., & Barnes, G. G. (2020). Working with children and parents through separation and divorce: the changing lives of children. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Telesia, L., Kaushik, A., & Kyriakopoulos, M. (2020). The role of stigma in children and adolescents with mental health difficulties. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 33(6), 571-576.