Becoming and being a therapist is as much a process of personal discovery as it is a process of gaining knowledge about theory and technique. You will now intertwine parts of your life with systems theories that have been reviewed in this course.
In an effort to encourage consideration of who you are, this Signature Assignment asks you to reflect on the experiences you have had thus far in your life and within your family. There are several parts to this assignment.
You will prepare a PowerPoint presentation that includes both audio and video components. There are some key elements and concepts that you will need to emphasize during this presentation, which includes the following:
Slide 1: Title slide
Slide 2: Present a case scenario or a personal vignette. This can be based upon your own family, that of a friends, or even drawn from a movie or book.
Slide 3: Discuss examples of modernism and postmodernism evidence in the vignette.
Slide 4: Provide an overall definition of social constructionism and include a specific example demonstrating how elements of the vignette are socially constructed.
Slide 5: Include a definition of systems theory and how it is related to your vignette.
Slide 6: Share four examples of systemic concepts evident in the vignette. For example, this may include a discussion on homeostasis, boundaries, hierarchy, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Slide 7: Discuss examples of linear causality drawn from the vignette.
Slide 8: Discuss examples of circular causality drawn from the vignette.
Slide 9: Discuss examples of first-order change drawn from the vignette.
Slide 10: Discuss examples of second-order change drawn from the vignette.
Slide 11: Share some ideas on the self-ofthe-therapist and be specific about how you consider privilege and biases in working with this particular vignette. Discuss potential blind spots as well.
Slide 12: Elaborate on future plans concerning the specific lessons you received while taking this course, including knowledge gained from the cultural competence resources.
Slide 13: Conclusion
Slide 14: References
Total Length: 14 slides
Notes Length: 150-200 words. These notes serve as the transcript of your narration.
References: Include a minimum of 5 scholarly resources.
