Calculating All of Our Losses: Writing Real-World Therapy Experiences in Child Welfare

Abstract

In the child welfare system, child maltreatment prevention and intervention are of primary focus. Yet when working from a multi-systems perspective, both the child and parent systems are of vital importance while aligning with caseworkers goals, and adhering to court orders in a larger community context. Although we adhere to a strengths-based perspective, the systemic narrative of trauma takes precedence over certain progressions within family life. As a result, we provide an autoethnographic account of our experiences as feminist family therapists working with multiple systems and the multiple gains and losses experienced by all involved parties.

Keywords:

• neglect
• loss
• adoption
• autoethnography
• child welfare
• trauma
• family-based services
• foster care
• child protection

Acknowledgments

During the writing of this article, the authors were respectively Assistant Professor/Director and MFT Doctoral Interns of the Family and Child Clinic, in Human Development and Family Studies, at Michigan State University. Currently, Kathleen is the Director of the Families in Transition Program at Perspectives Therapy Services in Lansing, MI. Katie is the Director of Transitions Therapy in Grand Rapids, MI. Sheena is completing her PhD in Couple and Family Therapy in Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University.