Spring Semester!

Hello fam,
Does anyone know when the last day is to sign up for the spring semester?
Merry Christmas!!
1 John 4

My MFT Family....

I just felt that I needed to share a few things that I appreciate about you all....so here goes:

These are things I LOVE about you guys:

Jason = your dry humor and sarcasm!
Joshua = your style and the fact that you speak French--so JEALOUS!!
Alex = your calm and sensitive nature!
John = your experience and wisdom!
Katie = your meekness, your humbleness!
Josh = you are tough yet gentle!
Jaimie = you always show concern for the lives of others--you have awesome doodling skills!!
Brittney = you are such a tough girl, but so girlie at the same time!
Ryan = you are not afraid to admit your sensitivity--and you are a runner!
Christina = you always have the right words, and you never say too much--so much WISDOM!
Quita = your taste in food :) --you seem to embrace the diversity of others!
Roe = you always have a story--your stories are ALWAYS HILARIOUS!
Shelley = you amaze me! You are brilliant!
Will = your love for your wife--so evident that you think she is AMAZING!
Lanie = your calm spirit!
Laurel = our mutual love for organization and over-achieving! You are my doppleganger!
Branden = your laid-back attitude!
Betsy = your deep-thinking and intellectual ways!
Leah = you always say EXACTLY what you feel like saying--LOVE THAT!
Michael = your ability to entertain!
Michelle = your GENTLE, GENTLE spirit--and the fact that when I see you I want to talk in a REALLY high voice!
Pablo = your Spanish--love how you always translate for us!

I love you guys---hope I didn't miss anyone!

Love---Stephanie

Carols and Coffee

Everyone is invite to come to the 1st Annual Carols and Coffee TONIGHT (TUESDAY)!!! It is at 6:30 in the Chapel! It would be great to see all of your lovely faces again! Families are welcome! (coffee and snacks provided)
Love to all!
Britt

Cultural Genogram Article - Hardy

Cultural Genogram Article - Hardy

• Social constructivism – is the biases we have because of our own culture
• Cultural Genograms for therapists promote cultural awareness and help to develop cultural sensitivity
• Imperative for family therapy training programs to devote greater attention to preparing culturally competent therapists.
• Awareness - cognitive function, intellectual processing
• Sensitivity – individual, response emotionally to stimuli with delicacy and respectfulness.
• These functions are intertwined.
• Brings joining between client in therapist and insight into clients psyche.
• Help the trainees to understand their own background
• Accomplishes:

o   Illustrate and clarify the cultural influence on the family system

o   Assist trainees in identifying the groups which contribute to the formation of their cultural identity

o   Encourage candid discussions that reveal and challenge cultural based assumptions and stereotypes

o   Assisting trainees in understanding their culturally based emotional triggers

o   Assisting trainees exploring how their unique cultural identities impact their style and effectiveness

o   Can heighten cultural biases – objectivity is limited by our

·         Steps to the genogram –

o   Organize

o   Define one’s cultural of origin

o   Organize principles and pride/shame issues

§  Fundamental values

o   Establish a frame

o   Putting it together

o   Create cultural framework charts

Family Process: Author Lynn Hoffman

Theme: moving away from a cybernetic, mechanical, and behevaioristic approach to Family Therapy, towards more "postmodern", objective, and fluid approach to family therapy.

Key Terms:

Cybernetic: activity of feedback cycles, not only inmmachine but in humans.
* homeostatic cycles that stabilize a family
* a therapist seeks in break disruptive, un-profitable homeostatic cycles.
Social Constructionist Theory: holds that our beliefs about the world are social inventions.
* as we move through the world, we build up our ideas about it in conversation w/ others.
* see the development of knowledge as a social phenomenon.
Idealism: view that knowledge derives from internal constructs
* S.C theory moves away from this.
Positivism: knowledge is a representation of facts and events in a "real" world.
* S.C theory moves away from this.
Second-Order lens:looking from outside the system
* taking a position that is a step removed from the operation itself so that you can
perceive the operation reflexively.
* allows you to see that a particular interpretation is only one among many possible ones
* a second order view would mean that a therapist include themselves as part of what must
change; they can not NOT influence the system.
Counter-intuitive principle: commonsense solutions to complex problems often have the opposite
effect to what was intended.
* because there exists secondary the tertiary feedback looks that are not obvious.
Lens of Gender: most psychological models and theories are based of a male dominated research
and worldview.
* emphasis on independence, autonomy, and control is not as compatible to woman to the
degree it is with men.
* being gender sensitive as well as having gender worldview awareness is a better model.

Hoffman:

1) believed a incorporation of...
* social constructionist theory
* second order lens
* gender lens
...is more effective that taking a strict, cybernetic model.

ENJOY: KISS KISS JASON

Notes from "Family-of-Origin Frames in Couples Therapy" Article

Family of Origin Frames in Couple Therapy

Uses 6 frames (reaction to family of origin) to help differentiate Marital Styles

• Coping – How you deal with anxiety, pressure
• Modeling – Models in your childhood (father, mother, other) whom you copy
• Role – Role you played in family of origin (scapegoat, helper, clown, etc.)
• Definition – Beliefs that define what you believe to be reality; myths
• Reversal – Things that you reject “I won’t EVER do that in my family!”
• Loyalty – Coalitions, triangles, and issues of loyalty or split-loyalty (divorce/remarriage, etc.)

Three marriage styles emerge:

• Pursuer/Distancer – Seeking intimacy vs. wanting space
• Overfunctioner/Underfunctioner – Taking responsibility, acting vs. not taking responsibility and passivity
• Blamer/Placaters  - Critical and demanding vs. Trying to please

WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is for everyone who is going to be working later than their internal clock will allow them

WAKE UP!!!!!