How to Coach Yourself and Others Coaching Families | Page 96

Haley Model
Jay Haley and Salvador Minuchin are considered the pioneers of strategic family therapy. In the 1950s and
1960s, Haley and other therapists began experimenting with alternative models of working with families
that relied on solution-focused techniques. The solution-focused approach was favored over traditional
psychoanalysis.
The therapy is based on the idea that people don't develop problems in isolation. Strategic therapy
implements techniques that meet the specific need of a family and their interaction.

Behavior Problems
Children between the ages eight and 17 are vulnerable to developing behavior problems. When this happens
it can throw family dynamics into a state of chaos. Strategic family therapy is a solution-oriented approach.
They focus on getting to the root of the problem rather than what caused it. The therapist works on helping
their clients turn their lives around by creating a carefully planned strategy, execution and monitoring
progress.
The therapy is based on five stages:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

identify problems that can be solved,
establish goals,
create interventions that meet these objectives,
analyze the responses, and
examine the results.

The therapy emphasis is on the social situation not the individual. Solving problems, meeting family goals
and help change a person's dysfunctional behavior.

Family Interaction
Strategic family therapy considers the family unit as a system. Families function just like any other system.
They naturally establish rules and interactions that affect every member. When the affected family member's
problems are recognized and addressed, the entire family becomes part of the solution process. The idea
behind this method is that the family has the most influence on a person's life.

Therapy
All the family members participate within a safe, therapeutic setting. The therapist attempts to recreate
typical family interactions and conversation through provocative questioning techniques so that the
problems can be presented and addressed accordingly. It also give family members a chance to see how
their interactions and responses can contribute to a dysfunctional situation. The therapy works on helping
families discover their unique ability to solve their problems using internal resources they weren't aware
they had.

Concepts and processes
There are a number of concepts and processes that must be applied that are instrumental for SFT to succeed.
The initial session is one of these processes, and is broken down into five different parts, the brief social
stage, the problem stage, the interactional stage, goal-setting stage, and finally the task-setting stage.
The brief therapy stage seeks to observe the family’s interactions, create a calm and open mood for the
session, and attempts to get every family member to take part in the session.
The problem stage is where the therapist poses questions to the clients to determine what their problem is
and why they are there.
The interactional stage is where the family is urged to discuss their problem so the therapist can better
understand their issues and understand the underlying dynamics within the family. Some of the dynamics
that strategic family therapists seek to understand are: hierarchies within a family, coalitions between family
members, and communication sequences that exist.

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