Ordinary People Intervention Family Dynamics

Ordinary People Intervention

Family Dynamics in "Ordinary People"

Ordinary People is the story of a family living in the aftermath of the tragic death of one of their sons, Buck. The death was the result of a boating accident. Soon after, Conrad, Buck brother tried to commit suicide. After a four-month hospitalization, Conrad returns to school. The family is in an upper middle class neighborhood in suburban Chicago. Calvin and Beth Jarrett the parents of Buck and Conrad. The Jarretts are trying to appear to be getting on with their lives, but inside of the home are not all right. Conrad started up his therapy with Dr. Berger outside of the hospital. He is trying to uncover the Jarrett's collective unhappiness. This leads to an examination of the overall family dynamic and the individual relationships.

Genogram of the Jarrett Family

A genogram is an effective means of representing relationships and family history that can help in the diagnosis and treatment of familial conditions. The following represents the Genogram of the Jarrett Family, as depicted in the film "Ordinary People." The symbols used in the genogram are derived from Margaret Phaneuf's "The genogram, a means of enriching the interview: creation." The following genogram expresses the familial relationships in the Jarrett family, at least as they can be ascertained by watching the movie. The relationship between Beth and Buck is considered to be intensely close and the relationship between Beth and Conrad is strained. It is difficult to characterize the relationship between Beth and Calvin, as they are married at the beginning of the movie, but separated in the end.

Beth Calvin

Depression

Buck Conrad

Depression

Key to Symbols used in Genogram

Suicide

____ __ ____ __ Distant Relationship

____ Intensely Close Relationship

Marriage

Systematic Issues/Problems/Dynamics

Family systems theory takes into account the complex systems that exist within the family structure. Family systems plays a key role in the development of the individuals within the unit. Proper assessment of the family dynamics is the key to successful intervention strategies. The assessment helps to identify systems and problems that are at play in the family system. The family systems approach uses the genogram to allow for engagement and participation of family members. The technique allows the worker to examine the relationships, family boundaries, and the variety and quality of connections to outside resources.

The family systems approach provides insight into who the family is, roles within the family and who performs them, family rules, communication patterns, relationship systems, major family events, the family network, and how the family fits into larger society (Missouri Department of Social Services, 2007). For the Jarrett family the assessment is as follows.

The Jarrett family has four primary members. Beth is the mother. Calvin is the father. They have two sons, Buck and Conrad. Buck was killed in a boating accident while boating with his brother Conrad. Since the death of Buck, it was been revealed that Beth and Buck had an intense relationship. The relationship between Beth and Conrad is strained and tenuous. All family relationships were strained by the death of Buck. Conrad and Calvin have become distant with one another.

The behavior that brought the family to the attention of service providers surrounded the death of Buck. After Buck's death, Calvin blamed himself and tried to commit suicide. He was hospitalized for four-month. This event brought to the surface a myriad of family problems, including the strained relationship between Calvin and his mother Beth. Communication patterns are a central issue in this relationship. Calvin believes that the way to heal the past is to talk about it. Beth wants to move away from the past and refuses to talk about it in an attempt to escape from the problems. Conrad learns to talk about his emotions and feeling through therapy. This helps to heal the relationship between Calvin and Conrad, as they are able to talk about their feelings.

Conrad does not appreciate his father, but Calvin never fails to indulge his son. Beth appears to be somewhat jealous of Calvin's attention directed toward Conrad. Beth spends most of her time playing golf and working around the home. She is troubled deeply, but refuses to outwardly dwell on the past. Beth always preferred Buck to Conrad for an unknown reason. This affects her difficulty in relating to Conrad. She never really connects with him, as she avoids communicating with him on any level.

The family has traditional role. Calvin works outside of the home. Beth spends her time caring for the home and playing golf. Conrad is involved in after school activities, such as swimming and other typical academic activities. Family rules are difficult to discern. They have few formal rules and do not seem to communicate effectively.

The family has few friends outside of the family. They spend much effort trying to appear normal outside of the home and in the community. Ties within the community are not particularly strong. They try to give the appearance of being the perfect family on the outside. Buck's death was the most significant event in the past several years and the Jarretts tried to give the appearance that life simply went on. This event culminated in much tension within the home that was outwardly expressed through Conrad's suicide attempt. The family does not function well as a system, as they are disconnected communication wise. Power is not distributed evenly, with Beth making most of the decisions. Calvin does not put up much resistance when it comes to Beth's decisions. He often defaults to her. Conrad has little input into family decisions. Beth berates him for beginning therapy and putting the family in a bad light.

Assessment Strategy

The most important part of the intervention plan involves the development of an appropriate assessment strategy. Bateson's Cybernetics model is the most widely used of the strategies (Niolon, 1999). Erikson's approach was that the unconscious was full of wisdom, one only needed to give them the keys to accessing it. The Milan Model was heavily influenced by the work of Bateson and other analysts of the time. Each of these theorists provided a strategy for assessment, treatment planning and treatment of family systems.

The Mental Research Institute (MRI) approach was based on the assumption that families make common sense, but their attempts to resolve problems are misguided. They develop a positive feedback loop and things get even worse. The solution to the problem using this approach involves identification of the feedback loop, finding the rules that govern it, and changing the loops and rules (Niolon, 1999).

Other models, such as that of Haley and Madanes were concerned with function that was served by a particular symptom. They would study the system for months before determining the interactions and the plan of action. They were primarily concerned with power struggles between members and the costs and benefits of keeping up the struggle (Niolon, 1999). The length of time that this assessment technique takes would not be appropriate, as the family is in immediate crisis and needs intervention to begin in a short time.

In addition, Haley and Madanes classify problems into four distinct categories that result from a desire to control and dominate, a desire to be loved, a desire to love and protect others, and a desire to repent and forgive (Niolon, 1999). In the case of the Jarretts, communication is the key problem. However, in the case of Conrad, the desire to love and protect others may be a key source of conflict. His guilt stems from his inability to protect others. He also may have sought repentance and forgiveness from his perceived transgressions. The Haley and Mandane's model is not a good fit for this family's problems.

Three primary models exist for the development of problems within families. The cybernetic approach allows for the creation of runaway positive feedback loops. Structurally flawed family hierarchies represent another source of problems. The functional model is where one member develops symptoms to control others (Niolon, 1999). In the case of the Jarretts, one could see all of these types of problem sources. Runaway positive feedback loops exist in the need for the family to maintain an appearance of normalcy and Beth's continual avoidance of the problem. The family has a structurally flawed hierarchy, as one of the brothers was favored over the other by the mother. Conrad developed symptoms to attempt to control others in his suicide attempt. These three primary sources of problems makes the Jarrett case a complicated matter.

One of the key strengths of the family is their independence, but this is also a key weakness as they all try to solve their problems on their own. This is true, except for the case of Calvin, who tries to talk out his problems with other family members. Conrad learns to talk about his feelings through therapy. Conrad has informal supports through a network of friends and activities at school. It is assumed that Beth has support through her golf connections. They have grandparents who visit them during the holidays. However, for the most part family members deal with their problems as individuals, not as a family unit.

Information provided by the family is an important source of information about the family. However, one cannot ignore outside sources of information as well. For instance, the worker may contact the school, neighbors, or others who are involved with the family to examine factors that may influence the current situation. The assessment plan will involve contacting the school to find out about Conrad's performance in terms of grades, attendance and overall performance.

Systemic Goals

The case of the Jarretts is complex, with many individual goals that must be completed on the way to resolution of the systemic problems. In this case, the identified patient is Conrad, as he was the one who tried to commit suicide. The goal of family therapy is the ability of family members to differentiate, improved communication between family members, the loosening of previously automatic behavior patterns, and the resolution of the problem that led to the crisis.

In the case of the Jarretts, they are all dealing with grief over the loss of Buck in a different way. This was the event that triggered communication problems and allowed problems that were already in existence to come to the surface. All of the family members must come to terms with their grief and be allowed to process through their loss in a healthy manner. This represents key individual goals, as well as family systemic goals as well. Resolution of grief should be a key treatment goal.

The second major issue of concern is communication among family members. This is a particular concern for Beth, who refuses to speak to anyone about her grief and loss. Resolving communication issues between Beth and Calvin, Calvin and Conrad, and Beth and Conrad will be key goals of the treatment plan.

The ultimate goals of the family treatment plan will be to develop a family in which all members have healed from their grief and the loss of their family member. They need to maintain open lines of communication where all family members can express their feelings. Open communication is a key goal for this family. All members of the family need to feel that they are important members of the family unit.

Systemic goals need to be clearly stated and concrete. They must include specific tasks to be done by each family member and by the family as a whole. The goals must clearly state the payoffs for each action. They must also provide specific timeframes for completing the tasks. Some of these issues do not apply to the Jarretts.

One example of a concrete goal for the Jarretts may be to complete a series of individual therapy sessions to help them work through their grief as individuals. It is difficult to place a timeframe on this goal, as the length of time needed for therapy may differ from family member to family member. Family therapy is another goal that needs to be a part of this plan. The family will participate in therapy sessions weekly at first, then tapering off to monthly as they progress. One concrete goal of therapy may be to establish family rituals, or other ways to honor the memory of Buck in a positive manner. This will help family members to put their loss in the proper context and to recognize and acknowledge their loss in a positive manner.

Individual therapy for family members should focus on teaching them positive ways to express their feelings. Family therapy should coincide with the above mentioned therapy to help family members to learn to communicate there feelings to one another. A potential goal for this portion of the treatment process may be to have them schedule weekly family activities together to encourage bonding through good times together. The purpose of this intervention is to allow them to focus on their time as a family rather than as individuals.

Theory

Bowen family systems theory is one of the most relevant theories to this case. Bowen theory views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems theory to examine interactions within the unit. In any family, the members are highly emotionally connected. However, family members can feel emotionally disconnected from their family. Bowen suggests that families can be so disconnected from one another that they can feel that their emotions are the same (Bowen Center for Study of the Family, 2010).

According to Bowen, the connectedness of the family makes the members interdependent on one another for emotional support. Changes in one persons functioning has a reciprocal affect on the functioning of other family members. The Jarretts all experienced a change due to the loss of Buck. Each of the family members reacted to it differently as individuals. They all had their own way of dealing with their grief.

According to Bowen, families need a certain level of cohesiveness in order to function and provide for their basic needs. Moods and emotions are infectious in families. When the anxiety level of one family member goes up, the levels of all family members goes up. When this happens, the connectedness can be stressful, rather than comforting to one another. In the case of the Jarretts, Beth disconnected from the rest of the family and refused to talk about Buck's death. This produced a disconnect in the other family members. Beth began to distance herself from the other family members. This created tension, particularly as other family members attempted to reach out to her. Bowen demonstrates that this can lead to one or more of the family members feeling overwhelmed, isolate, or out of control. This was the case when Conrad decided to commit suicide.

Bowen's theory is a fit for the Jarrett family in many ways. Certain family members accommodate to release tension in others. The person will take on too much responsibility for the stress of others. In this case, Conrad blamed himself for his brother's death. Beth may have reciprocated by letting Conrad know that he was not the favorite. Conrad absorbed the anxiety of the other family members, making him the most vulnerable for problems such as alcoholism, affairs, physical illness, depression, or in this case, a suicide attempt. Bowens' regarding the positive and negative effects of connectedness support use of this theory for the Jarrett family.

According to Bowen, three person relationships are more stable than two person relationships. The theory states that spreading the tension between three members spreads of the affect and can stabilize the system. In the case of the Jarrett family, this did not happen because Conrad was treated as the outsider. He was being pushed out as the other two desired change. However, Beth was the primary person who wished to push Conrad out. In the end of the movie, Conrad and Calvin are no longer in a triangle and the dyad will be stronger than the triangle. In this case, Bowen's theory of triangles does not work, but many other parts of the theory do fit.

Family stress increases the dysfunctional symptoms of the family and can cause one of four symptoms to emerge. In the case of the Jarretts, the key stressor that brought out other problems was the death of Buck. Problems can come in one of four patterns. The first is marital conflict. This happens when one or the other spouse tries to regain control by externalizing on the other person. Beth is confrontational in several parts of the movie, externalizing her need to control on others. Another problem that can occur is dysfunction in one spouse. In this scenario, one spouse pressures the other to think and act in certain ways and the other yields to pressure. Sometimes the other spouse yields so completely that a psychiatric, social or medial problem arises (Bowen Center for Study of the Family, 2010).

Another scenario that can happen according to Bowen is the impairment of one or more of the children. In this case, the spouses focus their anxieties on one or more children. They worry excessively and have a generally negative view of the child. This is what happened between Calvin and Conrad. Calvin focused his grief on Conrad and worried about him excessively. Conrad became worried and anxious, so much so that he tried to commit suicide.

The fourth thing that can happen is that the family tries to distance themselves from one another. Beth is the prime example of the emergence of this type of problem. Calvin and Conrad try to avoid this type of problem, but in the end, Beth leaves and completely cuts herself off from them. In this case, Beth maintained her level of function, caring for the house and going on golf outings at the expense of others.

Bowens' theory fits the Jarretts in many ways that are undeniable. Although not all of Bowen's theory is an exact fit, many aspects of the theory are a perfect fit. Therefore, Bowen's theory and the eight concepts that it embodies is the key theory that will be used as the basis for the treatment process of the Jarretts.

Intervention Plan

Intervention for the Jarrett family must address the two main issues within the family dynamics. The first issue that must be addressed is the unresolved grief of all family members. Individual grief counseling will be the chosen intervention for this part of the plan. Each member will attend therapy sessions to help them work through their feelings. While systemic intervention is one of the most important factors in family counseling, in this case, the focus in the beginning of the case must center on resolving the underlying individual conflicts that have worsened the situation.

Individual counseling will be combined with family counseling. In the beginning, the focus of the intervention will be to help family members resolve their grief, as individuals and to understand how the grief has affected the family as a whole. The family must work through their grief, as a unit in order to find new ways of coping with their grief that do not allow them to fall into the dysfunctional family patterns that have developed. They must work through their feelings, but old patterns of behavior must also be the focus of the treatment plan. They must learn to change their behavior towards each other in order to learn to deal with their grief in a more productive manner.

The first phase of the intervention plan will focus on dealing with the grief process. This is the immediate concern. Although this is only the stressor that brought underlying problems to the surface, it is the immediate need, as it has the potential to create more damage if unresolved grief is allowed to progress. The goal in the beginning of the treatment process is to achieve rapid stabilization of the problem so that it does not continue to grow as other problems are worked through.

Once the grief process is stabilized for all family members, work on the underlying family dynamics that created the situation can become the focus of the treatment process. Not enough information was available about how the mother and father grew up to be able to assess whether the problems within the family are a result of their upbringing or not. However, it is suspected that many of the problems found in the coping mechanisms of Calvin and Beth stem from their own childhood. These issues will have to be uncovered as a part of the intervention plan.

The focus of the second part of the intervention will focus on the differentiation of family members, relying on Bowen's theory as a primary tool. Bowen's theory focuses on differentiation of the individual from the family unit. All of the therapies suggested are for the purpose of achieving that end. It looks at family relationships and their affect on individuals within the group as well as connections between family members. It was these connections that was found to be at fault in this family unit.