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Treatment Plan

Name

Institution

Professor

Course

Date
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Introduction

Case: A couple sought counseling because of their son's hyperactivity at the age of 10

years, and their daughter's aloofness at the age of 14. The daughter's conflict style

exacerbated her brother's extreme emotionalism.  The parents had hoped that their son

would outgrow his emotionalism, but the number and severity of his eruptions were

getting worse. The father, 36, was more upset by his son's outbursts than the mother, 35.

The mother worried about her daughter's demands for privacy. More so, she was angry

about her daughter's refusal to even talk to her. Both parents' lives were pleasant, and

their marriage is very satisfying. The parents wanted their daughter to be more

communicative and enthusiastic about vacations. Both parents wanted their son to be

more mature. 

In this case, the short-term goals of family counseling are as follows:

1. Establish a safe environment where each family member feels heard and respected.

2. Recognize the root causes of the son's hypersensitivity and the daughter's aloofness

through assessment and observation.

3. Assist the parents in improving communication with their children and reducing conflicts.

4. Develop coping techniques for the son to control his emotional outbursts and for the

parents to respond to them in a constructive way.

5. Identify situations, thoughts, and feelings that trigger anger. Anger-related verbal or

behavioral actions and the receivers of such behaviors.

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6. Encourage Tim and Mary to address and understand their differing views on their

children's behavior.

Long- term goals:

1. Enhance the relationship between parents and their children

2. Improve the emotional regulation and resilience of the children

3. Helping the family learn to effectively problem-solve and navigate conflicts.

4. Create an atmosphere of trust and understanding within the family

5. Address and improve any emotional or behavioral issues that may be underlying the

children’s symptoms.

There are several theoretical approaches that could be used in family counseling for this case. I

would use CBT, EFT AND FAMILY SYSTEM THEORY

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing negative thoughts

patterns and behaviors. This could help Steven identify and change negative thoughts patterns

and behaviors that are contributing to his outburst. It could be good for teaching Steven how to

manage his emotions and for teaching Kevin how to interact more effectively with the family.

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) focuses on helping clients understand, accept, and express

their emotions in a healthy way. This strategy may assist the family in fostering a stronger sense

of emotional closeness and mutual understanding.

Structural-strategic Strategy will be used to examine the dynamics of the family and how each

member's behavior influences the others.

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TREATMENT PLAN:

1. CBT to help Steven in identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors
that contribute to his outbursts.
2. Identify triggers: work with Steven on identifying what triggers his emotional outbursts,
such as certain situations or specific people. By identifying his triggers, he can learn to
anticipate and avoid them when possible.
3. To assist Steven in developing appropriate coping skills and strategies for managing his
emotions, such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation techniques.
4. Work on self-regulation techniques: When Steven feels an emotional outburst
approaching, the son could practice self-regulation techniques such as deep breathing,
progressive muscle relaxation, or visualization to help him calm down.
5. Use of "I" statements to express your emotions, such as "I feel angry when you do that"
instead of "You make me angry." This helps to take responsibility for his own feelings
and avoid blaming others.
6. Use CBT to help Kevin identify and change the negative thought patterns and behaviors
that contribute to her intense emotions. Help Kevin learn how to communicate well and
how to show her feelings in a healthy way. Also, challenge any negative thoughts that
may be making her too emotional.
7. CBT could help parents identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that
are contributing to their communication and emotional regulation issues. Work with
parents to help them learn effective ways to talk to each other and their children. Work
with parents to change their negative thought patterns, such as generalizing too much or
thinking that things are either all good or all bad.

A cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), emotional-focused therapy (EFT), and family

therapy treatment plan include the following;

1. Initially, sessions may be held twice a week, with the frequency of sessions potentially
decreasing as progress is made.
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2. Treatment duration: It will vary depending on the family’s individual concerns and goals,
as well as the amount of progress made. However, CBT typically requires at least 12
sessions, whereas EFT may require additional time, while family counseling typically
consists of 12 or more sessions.
3. CBT: The goal of CBT is to help Steven, Kevin, and their parents find and change
negative thoughts beliefs, and behaviors that contribute to their problems. Teaching them
new coping skills, like how to solve problems and handle stress.
4. EFT: The goal of EFT is to help family members understand and control their emotions,
and to strengthen their emotional bond. This could mean learning how to identify and talk
about feelings, how to calm and comfort each other, and how to talk to each other and
understand each other better.
5. Structural-Strategic Strategy: The goal of structural family therapy is to address and
restructure unhealthy communication patterns. It could assist Steven and Kevin with
coping strategies and emotional regulation, as well as the parents in better understanding
and communicating with their children and each other.  

Based on CBT, EFT AND SST.

TREATMENT PLAN: SET OF GOALS WITH INTERVENTIONS,

Goal: To reduce the frequency and severity of Steven's outbursts.

Interventions: Teaching Steven coping skills such as deep breathing, progressive muscle
relaxation, and thought-stopping techniques. Identifying triggers and negative thoughts that
contribute to his outbursts, and helping him to challenge and change these thoughts.

Goal: To improve communication and emotional understanding between Kevin and her mother.

Interventions: Using EFT to educate Kevin how to control her emotions and to help her express
and identify her feelings. Teaching Kevin's mother how to be supportive and understanding
when Kevin is upset.
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Goal: Decrease enmeshment and increase boundaries within the family.

Interventions: include using Structure family therapy to identify and address behavioral patterns
that contribute to enmeshment.
Family therapy sessions to teach family members how to respect one other's autonomy and set
appropriate boundaries.
Skills training for family members on setting boundaries and maintaining privacy.

The goal is to strengthen the emotional bonds amongst family members.

Interventions: include teaching family members how to comfort and soothe one another using
EFT techniques. Encourage family members to participate in activities that promote emotional
connection and closeness.

TREATMENT TASK:
To create a therapeutic relationship using CBT, EFT, and Structural family theory, I would start
by building rapport and trust with the family members. This can be done by actively listening to
them, having empathy for them, and validating their feelings and experiences (Bradbury &
Bodenmann, 2020). I would also set clear limits and goals for therapy and try to give the family a
safe, nonjudgmental place to talk about their thoughts and feelings.
To create a case conceptualization based on these theories, I would start by finding out about the
family’s past, how they are doing now, and what their current worries are. I would then use the
information to look for patterns and themes in the family’s dynamics such as enmeshment, lack
of communications, and unmet emotional needs. For example, understanding the enmeshment
between Steven and his mother, and how this may be contributing to his hypersensitivity and
outbursts. Additionally, understanding the emotional distance between Kevin and her mother,
and how this may be contributing to her emotionalism.
Using CBT, I would try to find the negative thoughts and patterns of behavior that are making
things hard for the family and try to change them.
Using EFT, I would try to figure out and deal with the family's emotional needs and patterns of
interaction.
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Using structural family therapy, I would try to figure out how the family works as a whole and
look for patterns of interactions that are making things worse.
To identify crises and referrals, I would closely monitor the family's progress in therapy and look
for signs of worsening or crisis. If necessary, I would refer the family members to other
professionals or resources to ensure their safety and well-being. This may include referrals to
psychiatrists or other medical professionals for medication management, as well as referrals to
community resources for financial or housing assistance (Ozturk, Moretti & Barone, 2019). It is
also important to work closely with the family to develop a crisis plan in case of an emergency.
Identifying crises within the family, such as severe outbursts from Steven or Kevin's refusal to
communicate with her mother, and knowing when to refer the family to other professionals, such
as a psychiatrist or school counselor, is important in providing effective treatment.

Diversity Considerations:
It is important to think about how the social position of the client may affect their experiences
and treatment. For example, Kevin may not want to talk to her mother because he doesn't
understand the cultural and family norms about privacy and communication within the family.
Also, it's important to know how gender roles and expectations might affect Steven and Kevin's
actions and feelings. It's also important to think about how the social status of the parents might
affect the way the family works and the treatment goals.

EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE:

In this case, the presenting problem is the increasing severity and frequency of outbursts from
Steven, as well as concerns about Kevin's emotionalism and lack of communication with her
mother. The theories being used to address these issues are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and structural Family Systems Theory.

CBT is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of
emotional and behavioral problems, including anger and impulsivity. It focuses on helping
individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to their
problems (Lebowitz et al., 2020).
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EFT is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to be effective in improving couples'
relationships by helping them to understand and express their emotions in a more healthy and
effective way (Beasley & Ager, 2019). Family Systems Theory is a theoretical approach that
focuses on understanding the dynamics and patterns within a family that can contribute to
problems.
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References.

Beasley, C. C., & Ager, R. (2019). Emotionally focused couples’ therapy: A systematic review

of its effectiveness over the past 19 years. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 16(2),

144-159.

Bradbury, T. N., & Bodenmann, G. (2020). Interventions for couples. Annual Review of Clinical

Psychology, 16, 99-123.

Lebowitz, E. R., Marin, C., Martino, A., Shimshoni, Y., & Silverman, W. K. (2020). Parent-

based treatment as efficacious as cognitive-behavioral therapy for childhood anxiety: A

randomized noninferiority study of supportive parenting for anxious childhood

emotions. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(3),

362-372.

Ozturk, Y., Moretti, M., & Barone, L. (2019). Addressing parental stress and adolescents’

behavioral problems through an attachment-based program: An intervention

study. International journal of psychology and psychological therapy, 19(1), 89-100.