Jones Family Therapy Case Study

The immediate issue of the Jones family is the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. If working with the Jones family, one will need to start by having the family convey the presenting problem. The Jones family, specifically the mother needs to come to a realization that she is abusing her daughter in multiple ways. This can be done by helping the Jones identify and understand that the abuse is the present issue that needs to be removed in order for therapy to progress. A possible influential therapy that could help remove the presenting problem could be a narrative approach. As a therapist, one could have the family narrate their life before the abuse in order to see the presenting problem as separate and that it is something the family needs

to remove. With a narrative approach one can learn the history of the family before the abuse and what also let to it. Nevertheless, as the therapist one will have to use language that is similar to the Jones family because of their educational background. The Jones family is very dysfunctional because of their history of abuse so it is necessary to be careful with the language used when interacting with them. It is also known that the family lives of welfare check and is of African America descent. One will need to be aware of the difficulties or limitations the family is facing at such time. It might sound strange, but the Jones family seems to have been used to abuse for a long period of time and it might be normal to them. As their therapist, one cannot just blame the individual inflicting the abuse and the other for receiving it. This is why taking a narrative approach can be very helpful. By having the family narrate the times the abuse was not present, the focus can be placed on the good interactions they had. As the therapist, one will have to listen and identify those moments and maybe even have the Jones family do role plays. The purpose narrative therapy would be to help the family reconnect and create healthier interactions by having them remind themselves of what their family and values were before Carl Jones the catalyst of all the abuse entered the family. Overall, the focus of having the Jones family in therapy would be to foster change by eliminating the present issue. If the Jones family is willing to work with a narrative approach they could come to realize that a different reality without the abuse is possible.