Clinical Evaluation
The Wang family arrives with their 14-year-old daughter Lucy as the identified patient. The parents, Helen and David, disagree about everything: discipline, school, screen time, and Lucy's friendships. David says Helen is 'too permissive.' Helen says David is 'a tyrant.' When Lucy is asked about the conflicts at home, she rolls her eyes and says, 'Whatever.' In the waiting room before the session, Lucy was on her phone while both parents stared at their own devices. What is the therapist's FIRST step?
Your answer: D•Correct: B
Rationale: Strategic family therapy holds that the identified patient's symptoms are generated and maintained by the family system. Lucy is a symptom-bearer in a conflict-paralyzed parental subsystem. The first intervention is to interrupt the parental deadlock: getting Helen and David to identify ONE area of agreement and co-create a single shared behavioral expectation. Once the parental coalition is restored and aligned, Lucy's need to triangulate diminishes.
Source: AAMFT Code of Ethics §1.1; §3.1.
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