Paper Example on Helen Petrakis' Family: Exploring the Significance of Social Work in Psychotherapy

Introduction

The significance of social work is evident in psychotherapy, where social workers interact with their clients by exploring their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to help in finding solutions to mental health and behavioral problems. One of the specific areas where psychotherapy is applicable is family, where psychotherapists might find it necessary to explore a wide array of issues to find a solution to a given problem, just like in the case of Petrakis' family. Helen Petrakis, a mother of three, is struggling with providing appropriate primary care to her 81-years-old mother-in-law, who has also been diagnosed with dementia (Plummer et al., 2014). She is overwhelmed and feels blue, being that she also has to care for her family and maintain her job at the same time. Her attempt to allow her son, Alec, to assist with the care provision process has turned into a disaster with cash and checks going missing (Plummer et al., 2014). It turns out that Alec has been struggling with drug addiction while Helen is exhibiting symptoms of anxiety. Finding a flawless solution to Helen’s problems should be anchored by proper planning based on an appropriate treatment group.

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Type of Treatment Group

Various treatment groups can be considered for the case of the Petrakis family. Some of the groups include psychoeducation group, skill-development group, cognitive-behavioral group, support group, and solution-focused group. The type of appropriate treatment group depends on its ability to help Hellen provide appropriate care to Magda Petrakis. At the same time, she upholds her role in the sandwich generation and deals with Alec's addiction. Solution-focused group therapy (SFT) has been selected to address psychotherapy problems imminent in the case. Unlike other treatment groups that aim at solving problems by employing formal change theories, SFT focuses on building solutions by considering available resources and future hopes.

Purpose of the Group

The purpose of the solution-focused group therapy (SFT) is to establish and implement specific solutions to problems while at the same time minimizing resources including time and adverse effects such as suffering in the psychotherapeutic process (Proudlock & Wellman, 2011). Specific to the provided case, the SFT’s purpose is to help Hellen foster care and protection of her aged mother-in-law while at the same time managing her responsibilities as a wife and a mother.

Membership

Solution-focused group therapy recognizes every affected party's role in developing collective and mutually beneficial goals and solutions. Thus, instead of developing a conversation between the client and the therapist alone, it will be necessary to recruit other affected parties, including John Petrakis, close church members or leaders, and close family relatives, friends, or neighbors. It is important to note that a specific ethnic community surrounds Helen, and considering the contribution of various groups in finding solutions to her problems is critical. Developing curiosity on the role of the church and the community in offering support to caregivers and available care-management services for the elderly can form a sufficient basis for building a feasible and realistic solution.

Method to Recruit

Solution-focused group therapy provides considerable guidelines in arriving at practical solutions. Some of the pivotal methods proposed by SFT are miracle questions, scaling, and exceptions (Proudlock & Wellman, 2011). Using miracle questions, the therapist asks the client to picture a future where the key problems have dissipated to determine what they might be doing in a scenario where the problem has been solved. Considering exceptions allows the client to figure out how she might have continued with her care provisions if the adverse occurrences did not occur. Scaling allows the client to rate where she is at the moment. In addition to helping the client find solutions to her problems, developing these understanding allows other members of the group to understand the severity of the problem and the need to provide appropriate assistance.

Composition

For the care plan to work, the group should be composed of individuals who understand the challenges the main client faces and are capable of envisaging a preferred future where Helen has effectively found a solution to her caregiving problem. They should also be capable of figuring out some of the live and behavioral changes necessary for arriving at the ultimate solution. Finally, they should be comfortable working in a group to determine mutually beneficial solutions. Asking a series of brief questions on each of the selection criteria mentioned will be necessary before eventually recruiting a member to the group.

Size

The group should be sizable enough to allow practical discussions and mutual involvement to facilitate solution establishment within the shortest time possible. A team of six members, including the therapist, the client, her husband, a member of the church, and a member of a relevant community group, preferably an organization that provides care to the aged, and any other family member will be sufficient. Important to note is that the involvement of each member to be voluntary.

Open/Closed

Helen's problem is a personal issue; thus should remain closed. This implies that involvement in the group should be open only to individuals who have some level of interest in caring for Magda and ensuring that helping Helen minimize events that might lead her to anxiety.

Monitoring

Monitoring the therapeutic process and aftermath events is paramount in determining the success of the established solutions. Considerable strategies to foster monitoring are session reviews and qualitative feedback (Barkowski et al., 2020). The strategies aim at determining the outcomes of solutions suggested in a proceeding session. Reviews allow progressive assessments and making amendments where necessary.

Conclusion

The problems surrounding the responsibilities of Helen are immense and demands mutual involvement of key parties. Developing a group, including individuals of interest in Helen's case and implying a solution-focused approach, is critical in finding solutions that would foster wellness of Magda and Helen. Following the provisions of this plan is an essential foundation for ensuring the success of the group.

References

Proudlock, S., & Wellman, N. (2011). Solution-focused groups: The results look promising. Counselling Psychology Review, 26(3), 45–54.

Barkowski, S., Schwartze, D., Strauss, B., Burlingame, G. M., & Rosendahl, J. (2020). Efficacy of group psychotherapy for anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychotherapy Research, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2020.1729440

Plummer, S. B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (2014). Sessions Case Histories. http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/SOCW/MSWP/CH/mm/homepage/doc/msw_case_histories.pdf