What does it mean to think systemically? And how do you demonstrate systemic thought on an exam?

These questions come from a prior edition of the official handbook for the National MFT Exam. Both questions are derived from the same case vignette.

A couple has been married for 1 ½ years and have a newborn baby. They seek therapy to deal with behavioral problems involving the mother’s three children from a previous marriage. The father angrily says that the children, 9, 12, and 16, mouth back at him and do not respect their mother’s authority. The couple has started having serious fights.

The therapist decides to focus initially on the times when the father has thought that the children were respecting their mother’s authority. The purpose of this focus is to help the:

1. Parents unite the marital dyad.

Which of the following statements should the therapist make to help the family perceive their complaints from a systems perspective? 

1. “It is difficult to be a stepfather.”

Ben Caldwell Labs is now High Pass Education. Ben Caldwell's license exam prep programs are available here. 

Intro/outro music: "Swampy Lands" by Adam Saban, licensed via Soundstripe.