Application: Applying Bowenian and Structural Theories. Theory-based treatment planning, the type you will use throughout this course, is informed and guided by your theoretical orientation. Incorporating your theoretical orientation into treatment planning will help you set goals and choose treatment techniques and interventions appropriate for the client(s) you serve (Gehart & Tuttle, 2003). This week you apply two counseling theories, Bowenian and structural, to formulate your treatment planning and apply appropriate interventions.

In this Application Assignment, you watch videos of counselors demonstrating the use of Bowenian and structural theories in family counseling. You then formulate treatment plans for the families in the videos, applying the theories in question and justifying the use of appropriate interventions. Keep in mind that while you may not have adopted either of these theories as your theoretical orientation, you should still base your treatment planning and interventions on them for the purposes of this Application Assignment.

Reference:
Gehart, D. R., & Tuttle, A. R. (2003). Theory-based treatment planning for marriage and family therapists. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

The assignment (4–6 pages)

Based on the theory demonstrated in both videos:

• Define the problem.
• Formulate a treatment plan including short- and long-term goals.
• Describe two theory-based interventions you would use and justify your selection.
• Explain one anticipated outcome of each.

Support your Application Assignment with specific references to all resources used in its preparation. You are asked to provide a reference list for all resources, including those in the Learning Resources for this course.

Submit your assignment by Day 3.

Required Resources

Media

• Video: Psychotherapy.net. (Producer). (n.d.). Bowenian family therapy [Motion picture]. [With Philip Guerin, MD]. United States: Psychotherapy.net.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
• Video: Psychotherapy.net. (Producer). (n.d.). Structural family therapy [Motion picture]. [With Harry Aponte, LCSW]. United States: Psychotherapy.net.
  Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Readings

• Course Text: Gehart, D. R., & Tuttle, A. R. (2003). Theory-based treatment planning for marriage and family therapists. Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
  • Chapter 1, “Treatment Planning”
  • Chapter 2, “Structural Family Therapy”
  • Chapter 8, “Intergenerational Family Therapy”
    
• Course Text: Gurman, A. S., Lebow, J. L., & Snyder, D. (2015). Clinical handbook of couple therapy (5th ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
  
  • Chapter 9, “Bowen Family Systems Couple Therapy”
  • Chapter 13, “Structural Couple Therapy”

• Article: Brown, N. D., & Samis, M. C. (1986). The application of structural family therapy in developing the binuclear family. Mediation Quarterly, (14/15), 51–69. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
  
  
• Article: Farmer, C., & Geller, M. (2005). The integration of psychodrama with Bowen’s theories in couples therapy. Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama & Sociometry, 58(2), 70–85. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
  
  
• Article: Larson, J. H., & Wilson, S. M. (1998). Family of origin influences on young adult career decision problems: A test of Bowenian theory. American Journal of Family Therapy, 26(1), 39–53. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Optional Resources

Readings

• Book: Bitter, J. R., Long, L. L., & Young, M. E. (2010). Introduction to marriage, couple, and family counseling. Mason, OH: Cengage.
  • Chapter 4, “Multigenerational Family Therapy”
  • Chapter 8, “Structural Family Therapy”