Family Life Cycle Theory

Understanding the family life cycle is paramount when wanting to enter into the field of marriage and family therapy. The theory of the family life cycle refers to development as an individual and as a family unit. Subsequently when discussing family therapy as a unit it involves the individual and the family working together in a cohesive manner. According to McGoldrick, Carter and Garcia-Petro (2011) there is a 6 stage cycle when referring to the family life cycle that begins with the unabashed adult and moves through the retiree (Gladding, 2015). The 6 stages are; “single adults leaving home, the new couple, families with young children, families with adolescents, families launching children and moving on; and families in later life” (Gladding,
The young adult entering into this stage should seek out counseling if they find themselves in a duality between exploring life on their own and honoring their parents expectations. Consequently parents of young adults should enter into counseling if they are feeling a certain level of anxiety or concern about their relationships within the family unit (this is something that will be discussed later in stage 5). Furthermore this change in the family life cycle could cause strain on the family unit yet affecting all members very differently. The second phase in the family life cycle is the new couples phase. This phase can bring about questions of managing living with a partner and being aware of anothers feelings, habits and opinions. New couples entering into this phase of life should consult with a counselor to discuss short term and long term goals about future careers, children, extended family members, relationship expectations and religion. It is never a bad idea for new couples to seek out counseling to set a good tone for their future as well as obtaining the communication tools needed to sustain a long term relationship. Phase three can be a fun yet exhausting stage; families having young kids. Bringing children into a relationship can test the relationship more than anyone might anticipate; both mentally and physically (Gladding, 2015). For the family unit to thrive at this
For this application we will take a family of four made up of a mom, dad and 2 sibling sisters. The mom is 42 years old with a part time job working at a local school. Dad is 43 with a full time job in sales and is the primary money contributor. Their eldest daughter is 13 and the youngest daughter is 8. The dad gets in a car accident driving to work one day and breaks his leg and subsequently can’t work. Due to this shift in the family dynamics and the decrease in income the mom takes on more hours at the school where she already works. The two daughters are used to having their mother home when they return to school but due to this shift she is no longer home when they arrive. The dad becomes seemingly withdrawn and depressed due to his inability to walk or to work. The dad stops participating in family activities and is only interacting with his daughters when they are dropped off at home from school before they run to their rooms. The 13 year old daughter starts acting out by talking back more to her parents and pushing boundaries. The 8 year old daughter who in the past has been very loving and wanting to be around her parents is now seeing her sisters actions and begins to act out of character. This family finds themselves within phase 3 and 4 of the family life cycle; having young child and an adolescent. Before the accident each member