2003, p. 351). In this study, the clinician appears to be playing the role of mediator and allows the couple to speak to each other about their emotions through utilizing the process of change and the six pillars. “Therapist can reframe the problems and ask the couples to actively participate in the treatment and create new shapes of conversational communication with the aimof making a good and satisfactory relationship” (Rostami et al, 2014, p. 694). Ultimately, the same goals that EFFT possesses are the same goals of EFCT. The result is intended to create a sense of understanding, empathy and need for healthy problem-solving. Learning that emotion driven therapy is effective amongst a series of relationships, although originally intended for parents and their children is enlightening. I wonder about repeated patterns in emotional hardships. For example, for someone like me who was unaware of my emotional neglect in my adolescence, if this can possibly repeat itself in unhealthy patterns in intimate partnerships or with children of my own.
EMOTION-FOCUSED FAMILY THERAPY 9Personal IntegrationMy faith and personal beliefs are important to me while being in a counseling setting; however, I understand the need to be impartial, open-minded, culturally sensitive, and non-judgmental. Throughout the last five years of me serving in the mental health and substance abuse field, I have periodically utilized James Fowler’s (1981) faith development theory (FDT). Fowler developed seven stages of faith that people may travel through to develop a sense of meaning based solely on their beliefs. He viewed the concept of faith as “a universal human activity of meaning making that is grounded in certain structures that shape how human beings construe and interact with self and world” (Parker, 2011, p. 113). In any counseling approach, faith can be related, although not quite the same regarding who someone chooses to believe in. For example, I believe in Christ and have faith in Him daily to sustain me. A client may have faith in another god but believes that their god will sustain them daily as well. We both have faith, just not the same beliefs and have both have established meaning according to FDT. Although I identify as a Christian counselor, it will be my responsibility to foster faith in others, despite their source the retrieve their faith from. I can help clients articulate their ideas and visions that are attached to who they identify as in their spiritual lives. Fowler’s faith stages are mapped 0-6 and each have different elements that are consideredwhen a clinician is defining where they are in their faith journey. Stages 0 and 6 lack a breakdown of elements as Fowler reports that counselors are not likely to encounter them directly. Stage 1 is the intuitive-projective stage, Stage 2 is the mythical-literal stage, Stage 3 is the synthetic-conventional stage, and Stage 4 is the individuate-reflective stage. With me being able to practice in the field for a few years, I fall under stage 5, which is the conjunctive stage. Inthis stage “truth is perceived as multidimensional and organically independent” and there is “a
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