Psychological Assessment
A psychological assessment is often helpful in identifying the clients resilience and coping strategies. The assessment allows the psychologist to detect and identify problems being faced by the client and how they are coping. It is most important for a psychologist to prepare their clients properly for the assessment.
Techniques of Assessment of Georges Family
Direct observation as the therapist, I will offer some tasks for the family to perform. The test will have been prepared beforehand. Observations will then be made on the completion of tasks. For example will Teresa, the wife participate or take any role in the tasks to be performed
Rosenthal (1998, 89) this type of assessment is usually applied to families facing difficulties in order to give the counselor a chance to analyze the areas where the family may require professional help.
Drawing and pictures The best way to assess the psychological composition of children is through drawing. The assessment method will be applied to the children L.B and J.J. through the story lines presented in the drawings I (the therapist) will be able to draw reliable conclusions on the psychological state of the children.
Discussions and informal interviews The therapist can often draw a lot of information by involving the family in informal discussions of issues affecting them. For example, I the therapist may join the family for lunch or a picnic, and through guided discussions assess the familys issues, (Rosenthal 1998, 51).
Clients to Be Assessed
Besides George who I have already had contact with, I have an interest in meeting the following family members
L.B and J.J children are the most affected when parents develop problems of any nature whether emotional or psychological. The effects of the psychological changes with their mother, maybe causing more havoc than anyone is aware of.
During the sessions with the children, I would introduce play and picture drawings. Behavior displayed during the play sessions such as aggression or shyness will provide the necessary information on the psychological well being of the children. The drawings they present often give a therapist insight to their unconscious. Whereas it maybe hard for them to express themselves verbally, their behavior often gives insight to their internal emotions, (Sexton, Weeks and Robbins 2003, 4).
Teresa She seems to be the main concern for George. Her behavior change maybe resulting from severe emotional distress or depression. She also spends a lot of time with J.J her emotional distress may be reflected in J.Js behavior. It is also crucial for Teresa to discuss openly her feelings about the diagnosis of J.J.
In the sessions with Teresa informal discussions would work best. Approaching her as a professional friend is the best technique to help her open up, (Sexton, Weeks and Robbins 2003, 177).
Teresas sister Though she may not be a primary client, Teresas sister can provide insight into her sisters behavior and also J.Js character when at her place. Through informal discussions the sister can provide more information on the history of the family and the family structure today.
Choice of Assessments
Informal Play settings children feel much more comfortable in areas they are familiar with. In play a child often emulates what she sees in her environment providing an opportunity for deeper probing on the subject. In addition for J.J she has not yet developed the ability to speak, it is therefore hard for her to express herself. The only way, I as a therapist can make an assessment is by observing her play. The informal play settings will also make use of the childs own toys giving them a sense of familiarity. Formal play therapy always applies the use of the therapists toys which are often unfamiliar and the child is unwilling to engage with them.
Informal discussions Women relate best to friends. They spend a lot of time discussing their problems with friends. For Teresa a professional interview may seem judgmental to her. It would be like I (the therapist) am judging her behavior or portraying her as a bad mother and wife. Informal discussions provide an opportunity to be understood without the feeling of judgment.
Teresas sister may feel as if she is being blamed for J.Js supposed condition. It is important to put her at ease and allow her express her feelings in complete honesty. Informal discussions will put her guard down and allow the therapist to gain better and quality information on the family.
Ethical Considerations
Confidentiality It is often difficult for the therapist to draw a line of confidentiality in family therapy. While the family sessions are easy to manage, the therapist may find it difficult to know which information to reveal and which to keep confidential after the individual family sessions (Pope and Vasquez 2007, 39).
Empathy Pope and Vasquez (2007, 69) it is often difficult for a therapist to conduct informal sessions with a family and not become personally involved. When the therapist begins to consider the clients more as friends, then the therapy becomes compromised. A therapist must learn to empathize without personal involvement. This is extremely difficult in informal settings.
Boundaries of competence while the family has approached me for help, it may be hard for me to provide a second opinion on J.Js diagnoses as I am not qualified to do so. Additionally, it may prove difficult to completely asses Teresas emotional problems. Teresa may be clinically depressed and this would be difficult to diagnose in the informal settings, (Pope and Vasquez 2007, 45).
Multiple relationships The therapist is involved with different members of the family, conducting sessions with each one. The feelings and emotions drawn from a session with the children, for example may spill over to the sessions with the mother. The family may also have difficulty opening up completely because they are afraid that the therapist will reveal this information to other family members.
Third party requests The sessions have been requested by George (the father) the other family members may not come voluntarily but out of fear for judgment by the rest. Counseling and therapy must be voluntary for each individual including the children.
Conclusion
Through properly organized therapy sessions, I will be able to provide recommendations and proper intervention plans for the entire family as a whole and for the individual members. It is necessary and important that J.J get a second diagnoses from a recommended child psychiatrist.
In addition, it may be necessary for Teresa to see a psychiatrist also if her emotional distress does not improve after the first sessions. Teresa and George will have to attend some couple and marriage counseling in order to identify problems in their marriage and solutions for the same. Through a properly structured intervention plan, I will be able to assist Georges family develop much healthier relationships and coping mechanisms.
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