Overview: Students will present a case study based on the Pearson family from “This is Us”. “This Is Us” is a unique show. It details the lives of the Pearson family over a span of 35 years.
Purpose: To prepare students to present case studies for group or individual clinical supervision.
Assignment Outline:
1. Identifying/Demographic Information (2 points): (2-3 slides)
• Describe family members living at home or current living situation for those not home. Comment on members of extended family.
• Provide descriptive data such as ages, marriages, and employment.
• Provide other case specific pertinent descriptive data such as culture, race, and religion.
• Provide brief/ overview of family background such as recent history, any relevant medical or developmental concerns, intergenerational themes, family dynamics, and acculturation concerns.
2. Family Relationships/Dynamics (2 points): (2-3 slides)
• Discuss family alliances/coalitions and their impact- the power structure in the family system.
• Discuss family boundaries—structure, communication, and interpersonal involvement with each other; functional boundaries; closeness versus lack of clear boundaries; degree and expression of closeness among family members; cultural considerations and variations that may be present.
• Discuss family supports and their impact such as emotional supports and social supports
3. Family strengths (1 points): (1-2 slides)
• Individual members; extended family; family as a whole
4. Summarize the problems/challenges the family has encountered (2 points): (2-3 slides)
• Discuss current stressors—ecological, developmental, and familial and their impact.
i. Examples: Interpersonal conflicts, dysfunctional behaviors, environmental, cultural, victimization, mental health influences, etc. and their impact.
• Discuss past stressors that precipitate, maintain, and exacerbate current family difficulties such as those that are ecological, developmental, and familial and their impact.
i. Examples: Interpersonal conflicts, dysfunctional behaviors, environmental, cultural, victimization, mental health influences, etc. and their impact.
• Discuss problem solving and its impact- what has the family done to try to address problems; what worked; satisfaction with what worked, etc.
5. Identify any high-risk behaviors (substance abuse, domestic violence, emotional abuse, child abuse/neglect, criminal history, suicide risk, self-harm, etc.) within the family (1 point):.(1 slide)
6. Goal of family therapy: (1 slide) (2 points)
• Write 2 objectives using SMART criteria that can help this family meet their goal
7. Spelling/grammar/ APA (1 point)
