Families and couples have their fair of challenges that seem to hamper effective relationships especially if they do not adopt evidence-based interventions. Rachael Getting Married(2008) is a film that captures this reality by highlighting events that lead to strained parent-child and siblings relationships.
Analysis of the Life Transition and Developmental Issue Present in the Family
The Buchman family appears to be highly dysfunctional because Kym, an alcoholic caused the death of her brother Ethan. Rachael, Kym’s Abby, her mother have not forgiven Kym in addition to the fact that Paul, her father is wary of Kym. This grudge creates tension in the Buchman family, which disproportionately affects Kym who tries to win their forgiveness. A suicide attempt by Kym makes the family realize that they need to move on and give Kym a chance to reform since she is deeply sorry for her mistakes (Demme et al., 2008). The movie depicts a family that is struggling with forgiveness, resentment, and mistrust due to the unintended actions of another family member. Rachel tries to reconcile Kym and Abby but it proves impossible since Abby cannot bring herself to forgive Kym. The issue of forgiveness and resentment then stops from being a family concern but rather an individual concern. The family members are in a better position than they were, in the beginning, considering that Kym is willing to become a better person.
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Conceptualizing the Couple's or Family's Problem through Theoretical Orientation
Theoretical orientation s are crucial since they represent counseling philosophies on how problems develop and how they can be resolved or treated. Buchman’s family problem could be conceptualized through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), an approach that focuses on how one's thinking influences behavior. David, Kristea, and Hofmann (2018) establish that one’s behaviors and emotions are the products of one's thoughts. Kym Buchman thought that everybody hated her because of causing the death of her brother Ethan. These thoughts made Kym feel like the black sheep of the family and thought that everybody hated her. The suicide attempt made her realize that her family cared deeply for her and from here, she was more closely with her sister Rachael. At the end of the film, she went back to rehab, this time keen on becoming a model sister and daughter.
Designing a Treatment Plan that includes Short- and Long-Term Goals
The treatment plan is aimed at getting rid of the discord that exists between Kym and her mother Abby considering that at the end of the movie the two did not solve their issue. Kym and Abby will attend sixteen personal therapy sessions in a span of four weeks. The therapist will keep a weekly log to capture their weekly thoughts and change of attitudes. After the four weeks, the two will attend 10 sessions together once it is determined that they are ready to let go of their resentment. At the end of the 10 sessions, the therapist will evaluate whether their relationship is back to what it was before the death of Ethan .
Short-term goals
Kym to apologize to Abby for causing the death of Ethan.
Kym and Abby to agree to talk.
Abby to accept that she too played a role in the death of Ethan.
Abby to visit Kym in the rehabilitation center to see her progress.
Long-Term goal
The Buchman family to go back to being a cohesive unit it was before Kym caused the death of Ethan.
Evidence-based Interventions to Address these Couple’s or Family’s Issues and how they would be Used
The Buchman family has had numerous conflicts that created tensions, resentment, forgiveness, and alienation most of which are directed towards Kym. However, the family can benefit from the use of various evidence-based interventions. The main intervention that would be used for this family is family systems therapy, a form of psychotherapy that is suitable to solve family conflicts (Varghese, Kirpekar, and Loganathan, 2020). The intervention would work as the conflict espouses emotional cut-off one of the concepts in the theory since Kym is alienated from her family.
The other intervention that would work in this case is person-centered therapy for Kym, Abby, and any other family members who would be interested. According to Park (2018), individuals have an inner tendency to achieve their full potential unless blocked by certain experiences. Kym is yet to reach her full potential because of the guilt, resentment, rejection, and alienation from her family. The same case applies to Abby who has held onto resentment, which prevents her from having a wonderful relationship with her daughter. This intervention could help them to reconnect with their sense of self-worth and in this way progress and move forward.
References
David, D., Cristea, I., & Hofmann, S. G. (2018). Why Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the current gold standard of Psychotherapy. Frontiers in Psychiatry , 9, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00004
Demme, J., Armian, N., & Platt, M. (Producers), & Demme, J. (Director). (2008). Rachel Getting Married [Motion picture]. United States: Sony Pictures Classics.
Park J. (2018). The influences of client-centered therapy on the level of performance, the level of satisfaction of activity of daily living, and the quality of life of chronic stroke patients. Journal of Physical Therapy Science , 30 (2), 347–350. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.30.347
Varghese, M., Kirpekar, V., & Loganathan, S. (2020). Family interventions: Basic principles and techniques. Indian Journal of Psychiatry , 62 (2), 192–200. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_770_19
