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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Establish issues specific to family counselling
  2. Analyse views of leading exponents of family therapy
  3. Apply key approaches in family therapy
  4. Develop a therapeutic relationship with each individual within their family
  5. Develop a conceptualisation of the presenting problem
  6. Implement the components of family therapy sessions

Required Skills

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Essential knowledge

The candidate must be able to demonstrate underpinning knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include knowledge of

Counselling context process and goals

Counselling theories

Human life stage development

Child protection legislation

Extra dyadic relationships

Cultural difference

Selfesteem needs of family members

Social behaviours as control

Family life cycles

Family values

Differentiation of self

Problem saturated family narrative

Family sculpting

Bowenian triangulation

Coalitions subsystems

Circular causality

Family conflicts

Family rules

Recurring patterns

Family feedback

Gay and lesbian families

Essential skills

It is essential that competence be demonstrated in analysing family therapy processes

The candidate must be able to

Analyse issues specific to family counselling

Analyse the contribution of leading exponents of family therapy

Contrast the key approaches in family therapy

Apply systemic hypothesising

Use effective counselling practices including

establishing and maintaining appropriate counselling relationship

contracting appropriate to context

applying first session format

conducting second and subsequent systemic therapy sessions

developing of empathy and rapport

well timed challenging

Use highly effective communication in a counselling context including

questioning

active listening

respectful responding

circular questioning

Manage own values so they do not impede effective work

Manage the stress of the work

In addition the candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

These include the ability to

Construct genograms

Implement plans

Manage groups

Formulate takehome activities

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria Required Skills and Knowledge the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

This unit will be most appropriately assessed in the workplace or in a simulated work context and under the normal range of workplace conditions

It is recommended that assessment or information for assessment will be conducted or gathered over a period of time and cover the normal range of workplace situations and settings

Access and equity considerations

All workers in community services should be aware of access equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work

All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally diverse environment

In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities workers should be aware of cultural historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal andor Torres Strait Islander clients and communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit can be assessed independently however holistic assessment practice is encouraged with other units of competency relating to counselling practice

Resources required for assessment include access to

an appropriate workplace andor simulation of realistic work environment where assessment can take place

relevant legislation and regulations organisation policy protocols and procedures

Method of assessment

For valid and reliable assessment of this unit competency should be demonstrated in a range of situations which may include

continuous assessment in a setting that simulates the conditions of performance described in the elements performance criteria and relevant aspects of the Range Statement of the unit

written questioning

relevant case studies andor scenarios

Range Statement

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Issues include:

Small group dynamics

Different levels of participation

Roles adopted by group members

Conflict resolution principles and practice

Impact of directive, active therapist

Family mental health

Views include:

The purpose of the therapy

The role of the counsellor

The family history - genograms

The family structure, family of origin

Stages, phases, crises points of family therapy

Central features relate to:

Therapeutic focus

Underpinning philosophy

Primary intervention strategies

Leading exponents of family therapy may include but are not limited to:

Haley

Satir

Bowen

Paterson

Brown

Cecchin

Approaches to family therapy include but are not limited to:

Systems theory

Post-Milan

Solution focused

Narrative

Nature of counselling service may include:

Family therapy

Individual sessions with family members within the context of counselling the family

Work with a variety of presenting problems including:

adolescent violence

child/young person at risk

family relationship problems

separation and divorce

grief and loss

family violence

behavioural issues

bullying and other school related issues

adolescent socialisation and individuation

Systemic therapeutic context refers to:

Approaches to therapy that see the client as embedded in a pattern of relationships and interactions with all significant others including immediate family members and partners, past relationships including families of origin, the wider social and cultural context including the referral and other system (legal, educational, medical) and include the relationship to and interactions with the therapist and their context

Using a systemic framework as a range of 'lenses' guided by hypotheses, to explore relationships and interactions that are most relevant to client's concerns and problems and must include a lens that considers the intra psychic

Requirement for therapist to be aware of and when necessary explore their own relationship and interaction not only with the client but also the supervision in which they are included

Family life cycle refers to:

Framework for understanding developmental stages which families move through (Carter and McGoldrick 1990)

Stages in the family life cycle include:

leaving home: single young adults

joining of families through marriage: the couple

becoming parents: families with young children

the transformation of the family system in adolescence

families in midlife: launching children and moving on

the family in later life

Neutrality refers to:

Ability of the therapist to not take the side of any one family member, but to remain curious to each individual's perspective

Hypotheses refers to:

Description of relationship patterns which may provide a possible explanation for presenting problem

Case conceptualisations refer to:

Emerging understanding of the client's information and context

Sequence refers to:

Recurring behavioural events within a relationship/ family which form a circular pattern

Relationship web refers to:

A map of existing relationships within a relationship system (e.g. a family), for which the therapist explores and measures change

Systemic intervention refers to:

Feedback provided by the therapist at the end of an interview, which attempts to connect the presenting problem to the contradictions between meaning and behaviour demonstrated in the interview

The intervention should positively describe each family member's behaviour and how it fits together, reframe the presenting problem, and may include a suggested task or ritual for the family to attempt between sessions