This continuing an outline of key assessments of a client metasystem -
their extended family-system plus any impactful social subsystems.
Assessments
(all clients)
Premise: the degree and nature of
client-adults'
and false-self
will affect (a) every other systemic problem, and (b) the
client-system's receptivity to clinical interventions. Do you agree with this?
Based on
this and related premises,
assess some or all of these factors over
time...
-
How wounded is each key adult and child? (low >
moderate > high)
-
How
informed,
and
is each key adult, including key supporters? (little > moderately > very)
-
How are these wounds and unawarenesses affecting
the client-family's nurturance level (minor > moderate > major)
-
How do these effects relate to the client's
presenting problems? (directly > indirectly);
-
How receptive is each key client adult to
learning about the [wounds + unawareness]
personality
and
personal
and what each of these
to current and future family members? (low > moderate > high);
-
Is any wounded client adult or child currently
to a substance, activity, relationship, and/or cause? (no > unclear > yes)
-
If so, how knowledgeable are other family
members about (a) addictions, typical addiction effects, and addiction (vs.
wound) recovery; and (b) how psychological wounds relate to typical toxic
compulsions? (unaware > moderately knowledgeable > very knowledgeable);
-
Is each addicted adult genuinely motivated to
control (reduce) their toxic compulsions? (strongly > sporadically > not at
all);
-
How nourishing are the client-family's
beliefs and practices (a) in general and (b) relative to any addiction and
wound recoveries? toxic or ineffective > moderately nourishing > very
nourishing)
-
How receptive is each wounded adult to
committing to personal recovery now? (not at all > ambivalent > highly
receptive or committed);
-
How nurturing is any
for each genuinely-recovering adult, starting with other family members?
(low > moderate > high);
-
How high in
does each wounded client adult rank (a) their own and (b) each other's
wound-recovery in current family affairs? (low > moderate > high); and...
-
Assess any other client-specific systemic
factors.
Selected
Lesson-1 Resources
Key
interventions related to these assessment variables (for all families);
An
introduction to normal personality subselves (Inner family
systems), a safe initial dialog with a
subself, and an open letter to skeptics
An example
of psychological wounds (+ unawareness) stressing a real stepfamily
The Lesson-1
overview and article-index
Q&A about psychological wounds, and this introduction to
wound-recovery
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Assessments (all clients)
-
Premises:
Ineffective
and
are primary causes of most surface problems in typical client families;
Most client adults don't know how those contribute to their presenting
problems, or what they need to learn about these vital topics. Implication
- clinicians usually need to be proactive about Lesson-2 assessments and
interventions.
Significant psychological wounds in average
(unrecovering) adult clients will degrade their thinking and communication
effectiveness regardless of what they know. Implication: effective
clinical work with all clients should give priority to concurrent Project1 and
Lesson 2 assessments and interventions as circumstances allow.
Based on
these and related premises, this model suggests
assessing any client for these Lesson-2 factors...
-
the clarity of reach client adult's
and
articulation. Watch for patterns of...
-
vague pronouns (him/her, s/he, it, that, them,
the issue, this problem, deal with, etc.);
-
hand-grenade
(emotionally provocative) words and phrases;
-
unfinished thoughts and sentences;
-
abrupt
topic changes and/or interruptions, and...
-
staying focused on key topics until done; (fuzzy
/ unfocused > clear / focused); and...
-
assess each
adult clients' ability to
and respectfully
their current primary (vs. surface, or secondary)
clearly,
vs. denying, numbing, passivity, submitting, or aggression (e.g. demanding,
threatening, ordering); and...
-
the
client's definitions of...
-
Ask each
adult client to rank the effectiveness of their family communication
from one (very ineffective) to ten (consistently very effective). Note the
criteria they use to answer this;
-
As appropriate, assess clients' knowledge of
these communication basics. Option
- ask them to fill out this quiz &,
and discuss the results. Use the results to select from basic
Lesson-2 interventions.
-
Ask if the clients can describe...
-
the
all infants, kids, and adults try to fill by communicating; and...
-
which of these needs will
between communication partners
at a given time;
Option - ask clients to describe how
they usually react to typical family communication-need conflicts (unaware >
deny/ignore > fight > problem-solve);
-
ask if clients are aware of the vital difference
between their communication process and content - specially in
stressful situations;
-
Ask if
the clients can name the seven effective-communication
and when to use each of them;
-
Ask (a) if clients are aware of possible
communication
and (b) which outcomes they usually experience in family disputes and
crises.
-
Assess whether are usually aware of...
-
their
in session and elsewhere, and...
-
whether their R-messages promote or hinder effective
communication.- specially in conflicts.
If they're not aware, assess how open
client-adults are to learning about, and becoming aware of, their
relationship attitudes
and R-messages (closed > indifferent > ambivalent > clearly interested);
-
Gauge each adult client's ability to
to other family members, in session and elsewhere - specially in disputes.
(not able > occasionally able> always able).
-
Evaluate each adult client's
of their
communication
in session and
elsewhere - specially in conflicts and crises (none > a little > moderate > high);
-
Across several sessions, assess clients for
other common
and how the clients typically react to them. Look for recurring
process-patterns;
-
Across several sessions, identify personal adult
and family communication and problem-solving
strengths;
Selected
Lesson-2 Resources
Interventions related to
effective thinking, communication, and problem-solving;
This
quiz about basic communication knowledge
The Lesson-2
overview, article-index,
and summary slide presentation;
These illustrations of
win-win and
lose-lose problem-solving;
These skill practices for
awareness,
empathic listening, and
effective assertion;
These summaries of common
blocks, and useful communication
terms,
tips, and
phrases;
This summary of communication-process
mapping (an assessment technique);
These Solutions articles about
effective communication between partners,
and ex mates;
These useful
questions (and answers) about
communicating effectively; and...
The
Lesson 2 guidebook,
Satisfactions (Xlibris.com,
2nd ed., 2010).
<< main
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Assessments (with all
courting and committed
stepfamily clients) - evaluate
whether client adults understand and genuinely accept their stepfamily identity
and what it means
Premises:
Many typical stepfamily clients deny,
ignore, discount, are unclear on, or resist accepting (a) their identity
as a normal multi-home stepfamily, and (b) what that identity
to all their members. This promotes using inappropriate biofamily role
and relationship expectations, which breeds significant stress in and
between their related homes. And...
Client adults, kids, and supporters
may be unclear on, and/or conflicted about,
to (is included in) their multi-generational stepfamily - i.e. whose
needs, opinions, and values should be respected equally with other
members.
Early
in the work, assess if client adults and kids...
-
can clearly
define what a stepfamily
is;
-
currently accept that they each are members of a
normal stepfamily (vs. just "a family.");
-
accept that stepfamilies are ancient,
normal type of social unit which can nurture (function)
just as well as healthy intact biofamilies if their adults are (a) ruled by their
and (b) are steadily motivated to help each other learn and apply some key
and realities;
And assess if client
adults...
-
can describe realistically what it means
to be in a stepfamily - personally, and as a group; And...
-
can meaningfully describe what it means to
to a family;
-
earn whether all client adults and kids fully
include...
-
both bioparents of each minor or adult
stepchild, and...
-
any divorced-bioparent's new partner,
stepkids, and step-kin; and...
-
all genetic, legal, and "ex" relatives,
as legitimate members of their stepfamily. If not,
identify which members are ambivalent
or opposed to accepting any of these people as co-equal relatives; Option - show clients a multi-generational stepfamily
(family map) to illustrate your questions, and suggest clients
make
their own map as a group exercise.
|
 These
Project-3 assessments are needed to make effective Project-4 assessments of
the same client stepfamily.
|
Selected
Project-3 Resources
Interventions related to these
stepfamily-assessment variables;
These articles on stepfamily
identity, identity
meaning, and
membership,
This
worksheet on
stepfamily-identity-acceptance traits; and...
The
guidebook for Projects
1-7,
Stepfamily Courtship (Xlibris.com, 2002).
<< main
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Assessments
(for all
courting and committed stepfamily clients)
- check for significant adult misperceptions about stepfamily roles,
relationships, norms, and developmental stages.
Premises:
Our
wounded, unaware culture doesn't teach typical stepfamily adults and supporters
or most family-support professionals accurate stepfamily
norms, myths,
and realities.
This causes typical stepfamily adults
and dependents to (a) make unhealthy courtship choices (Project 7), and (b) try
managing their stepfamily merger (Lesson 7) with inappropriate biofamily role
and relationship expectations.
This
fosters chronic or escalating hurt, disappointment, frustration, and confusion
in and between related co-parenting homes, which (a) inhibit healthy stepfamily
bonding, (b) lower the stepfamily's nurturance level, and (c) promote
eventual psychological and legal re/divorce.
Typical stepfamily clients don't
(want to) know this, and won't ask for help in reality-checking and
updating their stepfamily expectations.
Implication: effective clinicians will accept this, and proactively assess
client-adults' stepfamily expectations even though clients don't ask them to.
Effective Project-4 assessment requires
prior Project-3 evaluation.
Over
several early sessions with a new stepfamily client, assess:
Project-3 variables. If
the clients don't solidly accept their stepfamiy identity and what it
means, re-do Project-3 interventions as appropriate. And assess...
the adults'
attitudes (very biased > mixed > very non-biased) and expectations on a
range of up to 60 stepfamily role,
developmental, and relationship variables; (vague > unrealistic >
mixed > realistic); and evaluate...
the adults' (a) understanding and (b) acceptance of...
-
the three common developmental
outcomes
of typical U.S. stepfamilies, and of...
-
how the normal developmental
path of typical stepfamilies compares
to that of typical intact biofamilies (ref. Lesson 7 interventions on both of these); And also assess...
the adults' openness to...
Selected
Project-4 Resources
Interventions related to these
stepfamily-assessment variables;
These articles on stepfamily
facts,
myths, and corresponding realities;
These Q&A
items on several common stepfamily topics; and...
The
guidebook for Projects
1-7,
Stepfamily Courtship (Xlibris.com, 2002).
<< main
assessment index / project
assessment index >>
+ + +
Continue
with basic client-family assessments for Projects 8-12, and more.
