Question

During family counseling a child states, "I just want to surf like other kids. Mom says it's okay, but Dad says I'm too young." The mother allows surfing when the father is absent. In the structural model of family therapy, what family interactional pattern should the nurse recognize?

1. Multigenerational transmission
2. Disengagement
3. Mother-child subsystem
4. Emotional cutoff

Answer 1

The interactional pattern is the mother-child subsystem, which describes the alignment of the child with one parent, potentially causing conflict in the family structure.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the context of the structural model of family therapy, the family interactional pattern that should be recognized when a mother allows her child to surf against the father’s wishes is the mother-child subsystem. This pattern highlights the alliances within the family structure, where the child aligns with one parent against the other, leading to potential conflict within the family unit. Notably, this situation does not fit the description of multigenerational transmission, which refers to the passing down of behaviors through generations, nor does it indicate disengagement, which is extreme separation and independence among family members. Similarly, an emotional cutoff would involve complete withdrawal or avoidance between family members, which is not the case here as there is still engagement despite the disagreement.