All in the Family

On March 26, Prof. Vincent Ciarmella, Ph.D. a professor in the School Counseling Graduate Program at LIU Hudson at Rockland delivered a presentation as part of the Counselor’s Casebook Series sponsored by the Counseling Honor Society of LIU Hudson at Rockland.  

A review:

“All in the Family” explored the impact of an individual’s family of origin on their formation.  Counselors that use the Family Systems approach believe that individuals are a product of their familial experiences.

Dr. Vincent Ciarmella presented in a way that provided opportunities for the audience to explore the impact of family of origin on their own lives.  There was a discussion on the influences of our family of origin, how we become aware of those influences, and where those influences lead us today.  The role an individual plays in their family of origin was also explored.  It is common for the role an individual plays in their family to become integrated into the way that person behaves now.  The roles we have played in our family may have influenced our interest in the helping field and our desire to become counselors.  Also, recurrent family themes often become second nature to an individual as they are integrated into current functioning. 

During the casebook we were able to witness how the family systems approach is incorporated within a counseling session.  This approach states that the symptoms a client presents are interconnected with what is happening in their family system.  According to family systems, symptoms are a product of the system.  In therapy, clients are guided and encouraged to make the connection between them.  Once a connection is made, alternative patterns are sought in order to diminish the experience of presenting symptoms. 

Review by Myriam Lecorps.  Myriam is a graduate student in the Mental Health Counseling program at LIU Hudson at Rockland completed a Master of Science Degree.  She will complete her degree in September.