Case Conceptualizations: The Missing Link Between Theory and Practice

Abstract

A good case conceptualization should effectively link a client’s presenting problem to a treatment plan as well as provide the basis for tailoring treatment to client need and expectations. Case conceptualization can also provide a tangible marker of a trainee’s capacity to link or integrate theory and practice. Unfortunately, family therapy has been notably silent about case conceptualizations and either of these links, despite the fact that case conceptualization is probably indispensable when health issues impact couples or family dynamics. This article discusses these considerations. It then describes pattern analysis, a clinically useful strategy for case conceptualization and sequencing treatment for individuals, couples, and families and applies it to the impact of health issues on family dynamics. A case example illustrates the linking functions of a case conceptualization and the application of pattern analysis to the planning and sequencing of treatment involving adolescent diabetes in a family context.