Strategic Family Therapy

How to Work Together to
Overcome Any Obstacle

All families have their challenges, but families with one or more members with ADD/ADHD have special obstacles to the peace and harmony everyone craves. The best way to maintain a positive family whether the member with ADD is a parent, a spouse or a child, is to approach family life as a team.

Each member on a baseball team has his own strengths and weaknesses. One member may be terrific at batting, but cannot field. Another team member may be able to pitch but cannot bat. Yet each member is as important to the team as the others. It is when they work together with strategic family therapy that the team wins.

It is the same for the family who is living with ADD. It is vitally important that the family members work together. Find the strengths in each member, focus on those and help them with their weaknesses.

How to Communicate
So That All Parties Contribute
To a Positive Atmosphere

The family member with ADD/ADHD has trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time. They are always in the present moment and have trouble with remembering what has happened in the past or anticipating the future. They also experience a tremendous amount of criticism.

Strategic family therapy teaches you how to communicate using a Direct, Immediate and Positive approach.

• Direct: When giving directions say what is to be done, when it needs to be done and how it will be done. Do this in a neutral tone and give warnings as to the passing of the time. People with ADD have problems with the passage of time. It is helpful if you can be an external timer for them.

• Immediate: Always in the "now" they will not remember something that happened that morning. They will wonder what you are talking about! React to what happens as it occurs.

• Positive: Always look for a positive way to say something. Look for positive actions to highlight. Be supportive.

The family team can help each other with different cues to let the ADD member know if they are perhaps talking too much, or are not focusing. "Earth to Alice, come in Alice." Putting an index finger to your lips to signal it's time to be quiet and let someone else talk. Each family can make up their own appropriate cues to help each other with their obstacles. This can be very effective if done in a spirit of fun.

Every Team Needs a Coach
Who Can Bring Out the Strengths
And Help Overcome the Weaknesses

Sally McAfee has worked with young people and adults for the past 35 years, 20 of them as a school guidance counselor. It is there where she became adept at bringing out the strengths in her ADD/ADHD clients.

She has the ability to recognize the gifts embedded in her Attention Deficit Disorder clients and helps them discover their innate talents to transcend their challenges with strategic family therapy.

Empowering young people and families to learn to communicate and problem solve is one of the most satisfying elements of her coaching career.

Sign up for Sally's special article: "Seven Ways to Move Your Family from Chaos to Connection".

The practice that will enable the team members to get along with others and to win in the big game out in the adult world is strategic family therapy or the coaching that I provide.

Contact me or call 610.688.1471 to arrange for a complimentary consultation.