Assignment 1: Practicum – Assessing Client Families
To prepare:
- Select a client family that you have observed or counseled at your practicum site.
- Review pages 137–142 of Wheeler (2014) and the Hernandez Family Genogram video in this week’s Learning Resources.
- Reflect on elements of writing a comprehensive client assessment and creating a genogram for the client you selected.
The Assignment
Part 1: Comprehensive Client Family Assessment
Create a comprehensive client assessment for your selected client family that addresses (without violating HIPAA regulations) the following:
- Demographic information
- Presenting problem
- History or present illness
- Past psychiatric history
- Medical history
- Substance use history
- Developmental history
- Family psychiatric history
- Psychosocial history
- History of abuse and/or trauma
- Review of systems
- Physical assessment
- Mental status exam
- Differential diagnosis
- Case formulation
- Treatment plan
Part 2: Family Genogram
Develop a genogram for the client family you selected. The genogram should extend back at least three generations (parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents).
Required Readings
Nichols, M. (2014). The essentials of family therapy (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
- Chapter 8, “Experiential Family Therapy” (pp. 129–147)
- Chapter 13, “Narrative Therapy” (pp. 243–258)
Wheeler, K. (Ed.). (2014). Psychotherapy for the advanced practice psychiatric nurse: A how-to guide for evidence-based practice. New York, NY: Springer.
- “Genograms” pp. 137-142
Cohn, A. S. (2014). Romeo and Julius: A narrative therapy intervention for sexual-minority couples. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 25(1), 73–77. doi:10.1080/08975353.2014.88169
Escudero, V., Boogmans, E., Loots, G., & Friedlander, M. L. (2012). Alliance rupture and repair in conjoint family therapy: An exploratory study. Psychotherapy, 49(1), 26–37. doi:10.1037/a0026
Freedman, J. (2014). Witnessing and positioning: Structuring narrative therapy with families and couples. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35(1), 20–30. doi:10.1002/anzf.1043
Phipps, W. D., & Vorster, C. (2011). Narrative therapy: A return to the intrapsychic perspective. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 22(2), 128–147. doi:10.1080/08975353.2011.578036
Saltzman, W. R., Pynoos, R. S., Lester, P., Layne, C. M., & Beardslee, W. R. (2013). Enhancing family resilience through family narrative co-construction. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 16(3), 294–310. doi:10.1007/s10567-013-0142-2
Required Media
LureGovernors State University (Producer). (2009). Emotionally focused couples therapy [Video file]. Chicago, IL: Autho
Laureat Education (Producer). (2013b). Hernandez family genogram [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Psychotherapy.net (Producer). (1998). Narrative family therapy [Video file]. San Francisco, CA: Author.
Optional Resources
Psychotherapy.net (Producer). (2007). Existential psychotherapy [Video file]. San Francisco, CA: Author.
