Read the information on the Meyer Family and answer all questions:1.) How would you, as Tim’s Social Worker, approach his parents and recommend family therapy? Hint: How can you translate the benefits of structural family therapy in a way that motives them to come? Explain in a few sentences the rationale you would give them and why you think it would be beneficial to Tim? 2.) What are the relevant subsystems in the family? Are they problematic or healthy? Give examples to back your answer. 3) Describe two triangles that have formed which are problematic. 4) Discuss the Locus of Power in the family. Who has too much power and who has too little? Given the family history, discuss what you feel may have caused this shift in power. 5) Using Structural Family Theory, what might you do to begin to create change within the family during your sessions? Discuss placement of family members, possible role plays and ways to encourage healthy communication.

The Meyer Family Background: Anita and Joseph Meyer are married and have three children, Annie, 8 mos., Josie, 12, and Tim, 15. Anita is a second generation Mexican American and is a permanent citizen with documentation. Joseph, age 40, is Caucasian. Joseph is a member of the Army Reserves and has been deployed as a soldier in Iraq 3 times over the past 7 years, each time staying for at least 12 months. Anita runs a day care out of her home. The family lives in a suburban area in the Midwest. Since returning home from Iraq two months ago, Joseph was able to secure work as a mechanic, but was let go after only three weeks on the job. Joseph states it was due to personality conflicts between himself and his coworkers. Although their marriage of 18 years has been without major problems, Anita and Joseph have begun to argue frequently and she suspects he is developing a drinking problem. She finds it difficult to talk to him, as he is very defensive and will not discuss his feelings. She reports that he does not help around the house and is overly aggressive in his discipline of the children. When she tries to talk to him about it, the conversation erupts into shouting and accusations, and Joseph walks out. Most of the arguing centers on Anita accusing Joseph of drinking and not working on finding a job, and Joseph accusing Anita of turning Josie against him and neglecting the baby. Anita spends most of her time with Josie. She reports not wanting to engage in social activities. She sleeps with Josie (stating that this is due to needing to comfort her when she has nightmares) and confides in her about her worries and concerns about the family. Despite having the home day care, she will often take Annie to her mother’s house (Juana) and leave her there for days. Since the troubles began, Josie has been falling behind in school and having nightmares. Anita reports feeling depressed and unhappy in her marriage, but says she still loves her husband. The family finances are strained. In the meantime, Josie has begun planning and cooking the meals and will often ask neighbors for food when they run out. Tim spends most of his time away from the family- his whereabouts unknown. He has started cutting classes and both parents believe he is experimenting with marijuana and alcohol. When Tim is referred to you for mandatory counseling both parents agree to come out of concern for him. Although they are willing to give a family history, neither want to engage in family therapy and blame Tim and each other for his problems. You conclude that family therapy is necessary and prepare to discuss this with them. Please answer the following questions in relation to the Meyer family: