Headings
Session information · Participants · Presenting concerns · Family dynamics · Interventions used · Response · Risk · Plan
When to use it
Use it when two or more family members attend and the work is on the family system, not one person. It captures who came, how members relate, and a risk check that covers everyone in the room, including any minor. It differs from a couples note by tracking several relationships at once, such as parent and teen alliances.
Example
Fictional example
Session information
Family session 3, 75 minutes, in office.
Participants
C.W., 15, his mother H.W., 44, and stepfather P.G., 46. Younger sister did not attend.
Presenting concerns
Escalating arguments between C.W. and P.G. over curfew and phone use since P.G. moved in last fall.
Family dynamics
H.W. steps in to defend C.W., which P.G. reads as undermining. C.W. addresses only his mother.
Interventions used
Enactment of a curfew talk. Coached H.W. to stay out while C.W. and P.G. spoke directly.
Response
C.W. and P.G. agreed on a weekend curfew of 11 p.m. H.W. said staying quiet was hard.
Risk
No physical conflict reported. No safety concerns for any member.