Based on an African American woman with diabetes, you will design a treatment model for working with a couple or family struggling with a severe or chronic illness. Present a case example of either a couple or family system that identifies one of the members of the family as chronically ill. Your case scenario can be based on a personal or family story of dealing with chronic illness or centered on the portrayal of living with a chronic illness from a movie or book.
Based on the case example, describe the following:
The family system dynamics and chronic illness in depth.
A systemic conceptualization of the family’s experience of illness.
Any ethical considerations that need to be addressed as part of this plan.
Cultural factors influencing the family and their reaction to the illness.
How the theoretical foundations for both MedFT concepts (e.g., illness typology as described by Rolland) and your chosen family therapy theoretical framework contribute to your case conceptualization.
Differences and similarities between your cultural beliefs and that of the group that might positively or negatively impact the treatment.
Finally, using the MedFT concepts learned in this course and your theory of family therapy, create a treatment plan based on the case conceptualization.