Our Family is A Team: A Structural Family Therapy Tool for Counselors

ABSTRACT

Working with children can be a difficult and intimidating task for many family counselors, especially when attempting to discuss complex issues of the family structure. Using a construct children already understand, such as a sports team, counselors can help children understand how their family functions and shares many of the same dynamics as a sports team. The purpose of this article is to present an intervention counselors can use when working with school-aged children. This intervention can help each family member feel a sense of belonging and can aid in the understanding and necessity of having an effective family structure.

KEYWORDS:

• Family counseling
• family structure
• child-centered intervention
• creativity in counseling

Notes

1. The client transcript provided is a compilation of several clinical cases where this intervention was administered.