How to Coach Yourself and Others Coaching Families | Page 295

E. Goals of therapy
1. Find fulfilling roles for self that don’t override concern for the needs of the family as a whole
(personal growth and family integration)
2. Increased self - awareness and expression that facilitates open family communication (you
can’t communicate what you’re not aware of)
3. Growth, personal integrity, freedom of choice, less dependence, "expanded experience,"
increased sense of competence, self - esteem, and well - being
4. Openly acknowledge support, and make use of individual differences
5. Being spontaneous, "crazy"
F. Conditions for behavior change
1. Evocative measures (resulting in anger, anxiety, etc.) To create therapeutic change by
opening people up or discover hidden emotions
2. Therapist must be warm and supportive, become a family member, be a "real person"
3. Therapist teaches by example how to be open, honest, and spontaneous
4. Including as many family members as possible (3 generations and kids)
5. Therapist needs to be mature, experienced, and have a satisfying family life
G. techniques
1. Clarifying communication (often through directives)
2. Focus on solutions rather than past grievances and point out positives
3. Support all family members’ self - esteem
4. Asking questions about emotions that are not expressed clearly (ind. Nonverbal cues)
5. Use of touch
6. Use of co - therapists to manage counter - transference
7. Very little formal assessment or history taking
8. Specific techniques: family sculpture, family puppet interviews, family art therapy, conjoint
family drawings, gestalt therapy techniques, symbolic drawing of family life space, role
playing, there - and then techniques, "psychotherapy of the absurd"
9. Interrupting family dialogues to work with individuals
H. Evaluation
1. No empirical studies, but some anecdotal support
2. Family therapists would benefit from being more honest and open with clients
3. Shifting the focus to an individual is a way to stop family bickering

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