Toward effective service to individuals, divorcing families, and stepfamilies
	Professional Article INDEX A modular menu for human-service providers By Peter K. Gerlach, MSW

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The Web address of this index is http://sfhelp.org/etx/etx_index.htm

Note - this model and series was originally designed to focus on effective clinical work with typical di-vorcing families and stepfamilies. It is being reorganized in 2009 to pertain to all "low-nurturance" (multi-problem, "dysfunctional") families, and persons recovering from early-childhood trauma ("Grown Wounded Children" - GWCs). Sections still hilight keys to serving divorcing and stepfamily members effectively.

        Clicking links here will open a new window or an informational popup, so turn off your browser's popup blocker or accept popups from this nonprofit site. If the windows distract you, read the article before following any links.

        This article is one of a series on effective professional counseling, coaching, and therapy with (a) low-nurturance (dysfunctional) families and with (b) typical survivors of childhood neglect and trauma. These articles for professionals are under construction.

        This series assumes you're familiar with these ideas:

The premises underlying this nonprofit site Normal personality subselves - slides or text Grown Wounded Children (GWCs) and what it means to be a GWC The [wounds + unawareness] cycle - slides or text Three steps you can take to break this cycle Useful clinical and lay terms

        Before continuing, pause and reflect - why are you reading this article? What do you need?

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        This index provides links to the articles in this nonprofit divorce-prevention site written for professionals who serve divorcing-family and stepfamily clients, and/or survivors of childhood trauma. The articles are in four groups:

Basic clinical topics Perspective on six types of client served by this clinical model, Articles on effective clinical work with these clients, and... Special topics

      
For an overview of the main sections of this whole divorce-prevention site, see this.

        All articles below contain many links to informational popups and articles with further detail.

  Basic Clinical Topics

• Introduction to these clinical articles (2 pages)

• Definitions and terminology (5 pages)

• Basic premises underlying this clinical model and non-profit Web site

• Brief perspective on family systems, and on the [client + professional] metasystem

• Premises about systemic change.

• Premises about typical primary-relationship needs and divorce*.
   

• Overviews of inner-family systems* of personality subselves or "parts," Grown Wounded Children (GWCs), and recovery* from false-self (psychological) wounds

• Summary of common traits of high-nurturance families

• An introduction to the [wounds + unawareness] cycle* promoting most personal and family stresses

• Perspective on presenting (surface) needs and the primary needs that cause them

• Summaries of typical minor-child development and family-adjustment needs

• Overviews of healthy grieving*, and effective thinking, communication*, and problem-solving* skills

• An overview of five key elements in this clinical model, and why it's unique 
   

• Five sequential phases of clinical work with these client family systems, and a related client typology

• Perspective on Erik Erikson's 8 stages of human development

• A comparison of the developmental stages in typical intact biofamilies and stepfamilies

• Clinical implications of three levels of human "problems" (unmet needs)

• Three options for preventing family stress and divorce

* If you have trouble viewing these slide presentations, see this.

Perspective on Clients Served by this Model

• A summary of core systemic problems with these clients and links to related interventions

• Work with typical divorcing-family clients

• An overview of stepfamily basics*, and a traits of typical new stepfamilies

• Overviews of five common hazards and 12 preventive Projects for typical courting and committed stepfamily adults

• Work with typical courting stepfamily clients

• Work with committed stepfamily clients denying primary-relationship problems

• Work with committed stepfamily clients admitting primary-relationship problems

• Work with families where one or more adults are in true inner-wound recovery

• Work with re/divorcing stepfamily clients

  Effective Clinical Work with these Clients

• Four requisites for effective clinical service with these clients

• Requisites for effective clinical supervision and case management

• Questions typical clinicians need to answer

• First-contact considerations, by client type

• General and client-specific assessment options, including intake considerations

• Strategic intervention options by Project, including special techniques and termination;

• Outline: effective inner-family therapy or "parts work" with wounded persons
   

• Common clinical errors with these clients

• A framework for in-service and self-education on key topics

• Special risks of clinical transference with these complex, multi-problem clients

• Protections against clinician burnout with these clients

• Selected books and other resources for professionals and clients

• Traits of a high-nurturance clinical work-environment

• Solution-options for over 90 common (surface) "problems" in typical divorcing families and stepfamilies

Special Topics

• Perspective on family policies about anger and grieving

• Perspective on "depression"

• Perspective on reducing excessive guilts

• Perspective on using spirituality strategically (3 pages)

• Perspective on wounded people hitting pseudo and true "bottom"

• Perspective on codependence (relationship addiction), and work with addicted families

• A proposed update to the traditional "Anonymous" 12 steps, for Grown Wounded  Children in true recovery
   

• Perspective on bonding (attachment) and bonding blocks (Reactive Attachment Disorder)

• Perspective on extra-marital affairs

• Perspective on same-gender couples and their families

• Options for dealing with typical process problems with these clients

• Choosing a qualified clinical consultant

• How to evaluate stepfamily advice, programs, Web sites, and printed resources

• Effective clinical work with court-referred clients
   

• When EAPs and insurance-providers limit clinical hours or sessions

• When only one mate participates in the work

• When new mates and ex mates participate in the work

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Updated  August 04, 2008