The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate

The
purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate how you would apply diagnosis and
treatment planning processes when working with couples or families. Review the
mediaCase Studies of a Couple
and a Family. Select one of the two case studies—one
couple vignette and one family vignette—to use for this assignment.
1.
Identify and evaluate
specific methods you would use during the assessment and diagnosis phase with
this couple or family.
o Apply family systems models used for understanding patterns of
dysfunction in relationships to describe how you would incorporate assessment
and diagnostic processes into your work with this couple or family.
o Explain how you would apply theDSM-5 diagnostic system to
this couple or family. Review the materials in theDSM-5 about relational
problems (pages 715–722, “Relational Problems” under “Other
Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention”). If you decide to
give a diagnosis to any of the individuals, what would it be, and how might
this diagnosis impact the couple’s or family’s therapy process?
2.
Explain how you would
include sociocultural factors in the assessment and diagnosis of this couple or
family.
o Evaluate the influence of the clients’ sociocultural background,
personal history, environment, and family or relationship systems on their
current experiences and the presentation of their symptoms. You will need to
support your ideas with evidence from the professional literature.
o Discuss how your own sociocultural background, personal history,
values, biases, and assumptions would impact the diagnostic process with this
couple or family. For example, might you have difficulty understanding the
meaning of some the symptoms these clients present; or, might you overlook, or
over-emphasize, certain symptoms, given your own background and history?
3.
Discuss the ethical
issues that may arise when assessing and diagnosing a couple or family. Apply
specific ethical standards (such as those from the American Counseling
Association (ACA), American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
(AAMFT), and Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC) to the issues you
may encounter when assessing and diagnosing this couple or family.
4.
Design an effective
treatment plan for this couple or family based on the assessment information
you have observed and collected during the diagnostic process. Use the
following outline for your treatment plan:
o What is the focus of the therapy (key issues and concerns that
will be addressed)?
o What are some of the main goals for this couple or family? What
specific changes in the couple or family would be evidence of positive movement
or would demonstrate that the therapy is being effective? For each goal noted,
list examples of specific interventions or counseling techniques that will be
used during the sessions.
o What interventions will be used during sessions to help the
couple or family reach their goals?