Luton Youth Offending Service – Family Therapy
IYPP PROJECT
2. The Model
2.1 Underpinning Theoretical Principles
Family Therapy has become widely used in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services across Europe and the USA. Key approaches developed in Milan and Paulo Alto during the 1980’s culminated in what we know now as Structural, Strategic and Systemic approaches. Widening further we draw upon the Appreciative Enquiry Approach (Cooperrider 1990) the Narrative Approach (White 1988) and Solution Focused Therapy (de Shazer 1982). The wide range of ideas contained within these approaches informed our community approach to working with families (Boyd-Franklin and Bry 2000). The core of our approach has been the Milan Model (Cecchin et al 1987) primarily because the philosophy and methods contained in this approach have been central to our training. However the challenging circumstances of providing a family therapy service outside of the safety of the “clinic” environment has resulted in us developing a flexible and user-friendly approach (Reimers and Treacher 1995).
The Luton YOS Family Therapy Project is based on the principles of systemic practice (Cecchin et al 1987). A basic premise of systemic practice is that change occurring within an individual is influenced by the relationships that that person has with others (Burnham 1986). For example, a young person may experience changes in themselves, like increased confidence or self esteem, but if the significant people around them do not acknowledge or respond to this change, or continue to relate to them in the same way as they always have, then the changes are likely to be short lived. The way that people relate is an expression of their experiences and their belief systems. Family Therapy provides families with the space to talk about ideas that they may not feel safe to talk about in a different context (Dallos 1991).
2.2 The Process at Luton YOS
Luton YOS Family Therapy sessions are delivered by two practitioners one of whom leads the session with the other taking a more observational position. At times throughout the session, which lasts between one and one and half hours, the two therapists may have a conversation in front of the family about their ideas about what has been said (Friedman 1995). In this way the therapists’ ideas and thinking are transparent to the family and may serve to allay fears about how others perceive them ie as being faulty in some way. Sessions are usually spaced at three to four weekly intervals and the family decides with guidance from the therapists as to how many sessions are held. In practice this can range from anything between one and twelve sessions but more often is somewhere between three and eight. Interventions on average run for about 6 months.
2.3 Session Content
Content of sessions often focuses on how one member of the family is not doing what another member of the family wants them to do, leading to anger and arguments. Therapists ask questions that explore the beliefs underpinning the expectations. The intention of this is partly to reveal the ‘good intentions’ of the parent. Detailed exploration of episodes of the behaviour helps others to recognise their part in unwanted repetitive patterns. The intention of the therapist is also to build up the family’s appreciation of themselves and each other, reducing the level of blame and encouraging a shared responsibility for co-creating new ways of going forward.