Systemic Family Intervention Model

Hurting more than helping

Traditional conspiratorial confrontation is dramatic and has sensational short-term effects.

The family breathes a collective sigh of relief while their loved one is off at rehab to get fixed.

But the drawback is that even with family education and participation in the “treatment,” the result is guarded at best – because that person is returning to the exact same place they left last month.

A whole new perspective

A systemic intervention is considered successful when the entire family has an opportunity to invite the healing process into their lives. It is a more effective and compassionate alternative to the more familiar “ambush” models.

Inclusive meetings take place to educate, process, and teach family members how to effectively communicate needs and create realistic goals.

The Counselor’s goal will be to identify that family’s needs and proceed accordingly.

The counselor is an observer, facilitator and teacher – not the star of a show.

The recipient’s behavior is not the only focus and may or may not be discussed at every session.

While getting the recipient into treatment may be the desired result, it arrives in the form of a collaborative decision instead of an ultimatum.

Once the recipient has “skin in the game,” the likelihood of a positive outcome increases dramatically.

The focus is on the family, not the recipient.

All members of the family are regarded as patients and are encouraged to process how addictive patterns and shame-based interactions have affected them over time.

This is designed to avoid provoking defensive or aggressive responses that lead to all too familiar negative results.

When to intervene?

Bob’s wife was sick and tired of his late nights, hangovers, and constant excuses.

She found a good source of support from her mother-in-law and their oldest daughter, and they knew what Bob had to do. They felt it was time for Bob to get back into rehab (for the fourth time) to get his priorities back in order.

But this time was different.

Bob’s wife was fortunate enough to find a counselor who applied a systemic approach to their family’s concerns.

Coming together to move forward

Through a series of meetings and individual discussions, everyone was able to communicate clearly and develop a better understanding of how they could all heal together.

Bob’s wife pursued work with a private therapist while supporting him in an inpatient facility. His daughter has pursued her own healing journey and developed new norms for the family.

The entire system’s prognosis is optimistic.

Unless it is a crisis situation, this is the only style of intervention work I do.

Aggressive style and tough love are outdated concepts I wouldn’t use, even as a last resort.

Sadly, at last glance, most interventionists still use a version of this format. Investigate the potential benefits of “treatment for healing” vs “treatment” alone.

I received training from Waine Raiter, MA, LCSW, LMFT, one of the original proponents of the Systemic Family Intervention Model in 2013 and have applied its methodologies to family work ever since.

I also have a Family Systems Specialist (FSS) endorsement from Gateway/Onsite Strategies (TM).

Call (916) 382-2412 ASAP for additional information on systemic family intervention.