Functional Family Therapy ch. 7- Relational Assessment Phase

It addresses 2 family domains:

1. the degree of connection between family members
2. the hierarchical pattern involved in those connections

This treatment doesn't de-emphasize genetics, or trauma, or anything like that that affects families, but by the time you use this treatment it's hard to know cause from effect- these behaviors don't emerge overnight.

Goals and tasks of the relational assessment phase

• How do the two things above relate to the problems in the family?
• This assessment helps you to know specific interventions to target specific behaviors. 

FFT helps dysfunctional families become functional and better versions of themselves. This is done by working on relationship configurations to provide them with alternative, more adaptive ways to express these configurations.

Relational Functions as the Linchpin for Behavior Change 

• FFT therapists focus on the relational function of the problem behavior- like someone who is looking for comfort and stress reduction through drugs and unprotected sex. The FFT therapist doesn't try to take away the relational function (comfort and stress reduction) of the behavior but they try to change the cognitive, physiological, emotional, and behavioral strategies they use to meet the relational function. 

Assessment of Relational Functions

Relational Connection

• "midpointing" is optimal for teenager/parent functioning. Same level of closeness as autonomy. Teens can do things on their own but then feel close with the parents when together. 
• Each 3 of these states can be adaptive and they can all be maladaptive. "The problem is not what the relational function is, but how it is expressed and met."
• The important part of this is that FFT doesn't say what every family should look like. They respect individual and family wishes and accept diversity of families and what they want to do/what works for them. If they want an autonomous family, that's fine. If they want to be close, no worries. We just help them get there. 
• It is important to look at the strength of the interaction patterns, not necessarily the strength of emotion. (i.e. the difference between an abused woman fleeing with her child trying to create distance vs. indifference between family members creating just as much distance)

Relational Hierarchy

• Sorry, I don't know how to rotate the picture. 
• The balance of control and power is an important factor to consider in FFT
• IT's important for parents to exercise control through relational connection and relational quality. 
• FFT therapists work hard to create a situation where youth are influenced by parents because they love their parents instead of to avoid consequences. 
• We also want parents to provide guidance through caring, not just in order to control youth.