Final answer:
A) A high level of distress in the caregiver while discussing the child's traumatic experience indicates that the family may not be ready for parent-child sessions. This is because the caregiver's unresolved trauma may affect the therapeutic process. Other concerns, such as emotional reactions from the child or disputes by the caregiver, do not necessarily suggest unpreparedness for therapy.
Step-by-step explanation:
An indication that the family is not ready to participate in parent-child sessions would be if the caregiver shows a high level of distress when discussing the child's traumatic experience. This response may signal that the caregiver has unprocessed emotions and distress surrounding the trauma, which could impede effective participation in therapy sessions aimed at addressing and healing from trauma. Caregivers who are constantly distressed could benefit from individual therapy first to address their responses to the child's trauma before engaging in joint sessions.
While the other options such as the caregiver disputing unhelpful thoughts related to the child's trauma, the child discussing the trauma narrative comfortably with the therapist, or the child still having some emotional reactions when describing the traumatic event, may indicate areas of concern, they do not necessarily signify that the family is not ready for parent-child sessions. In these situations, the therapist can work with the family to process these issues within a structured therapeutic setting.