Structural Family Therapy

With Harry Aponte

Episode 9 of Family Therapy with the Experts Series

Adrian and Judy are skeptical about therapy. They have been to several therapists to try to understand their daughter Pam's anger, and are frustrated with the lack of improvement in Pam's behavior. Finally, in this session with Aponte, they are on their way to making positive changes in the family dynamic. Aponte masterfully forms an alliance with Pam, a difficult-to-reach woman in her thirties with developmental limitations, by connecting with her humanity through curiosity and direct engagement. He demonstrates key principles of Structural Therapy by focusing on concrete day-to-day issues and engaging actively with all three family members to help them understand the underlying conflicts beneath Pam's anger. Aponte strikes a delicate balance of meeting the family on their terms, and yet confidently making observations as well as asserting what they need to do to make the changes they so desperately desire.

In this three-part video, Aponte discusses his approach to family therapy, conducts a real session with this challenging family, and then offers commentary about the session. Aponte's responses to questions from an audience of therapists further elucidate the rationale behind his interventions. If you've ever struggled with how to engage a hard-to-reach client or are curious about applying a structural approach to therapeutic work with challenging families, this video will prove to be both inspiring and instructive.

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