Family Shadow Box Reflection

I already completed part 1. You would just neeed to finish part 2. I have some answers for you to base things off of as well that I will include!

Family Shadow Box- Part I (50 points)

In order to best help the individuals, couples and families we serve, we as counselors must first seek to understand how our families of origin have influenced and continue to influence our view of family and relationships. This project is designed to help you reflect on your family of origin.

For this project you will need items found around your home, items found outside, items symbolic of you and your family. You might even try a virtual shadow box.

Inside your shadow box, create a scene depicting how you see your family of origin. You choose who to include in your shadow box (i.e. who you consider your family of origin; do not include your current partners and/or children). Display the relationships between and among family members in your shadow box, thus your family dynamics. Include a symbol to represent yourself within your box. Your shadow box should be 3-D.

You will not being graded on your artistic abilities. It should be obvious that you put an appropriate amount of thought and work into your box. This is an opportunity for self expression and exploration.

Reflection Paper- Part II (50 points)

After completion of your shadow box, write a reflection paper considering your family of origin.

Your paper should include:

• A description of your shadow box
• Who you chose to represent in the box and who was left out, why
• An explanation of the meaning of why you arranged your shadow box the way that you did
• The meaning of the items or materials you used to represent members, family dynamics
• Where you placed yourself within the box in relation to other family members and how you chose to depict yourself
• How do you think your experience with your family of origin will impact/ influence your work with couples and families? Including:
• • Positive and negative influences of your family
  • Experiences and influences that might strengthen your couple and family counseling skills/ experiences and influences that may hinder your ability
  • Bias or prejudices you may have based on your family of origin
  • Presenting problems than may be harder for you to work with because of your experiences with your family or origin
  • Issues related to your family or origin that you feel are unresolved and that still impact you

Your reflection paper should be a minimum of 6 pages long, not including the title page, and use APA formatting.

Answers:

A description of your shadow box: my shadow box includes my immediate family including my birth parents, my adoptive father who I will further refer to as my dad. If my biological dad is referred to at all, it was will be as biological dad or by his real name, Chad I have included all of my sisters (4 total) as well as my cousin Alexis. Two of my sisters and my cousin Alexis are the only contact I have with my biological side of my fathers side of the family. I did include one photo of my mother and my biological father holding me two days after I was born but that was it.

Who you chose to represent in the box and who was left out, why: I left out any further information or photos of my biological dads side of the family because they are just DNA, not actually family to me. My dad (adoptive dad) adopted me fully on June 21. 2001. I included a photo of my two sisters, mom, dad, myself, and the judge from the day of my adoption. Following my adoption, my parents threw me a surprise congratulations JORDAN BRUNGARDT which was my brand new and forever (until marriage) name. I included the article in my shadow box. The congrats sign fit all the way across my house and more. As stated earlier, I included my two sisters and my cousin Alexis in one of the pictures because they are the only family from that side that I communicate with. More so my cousin than anyone. My shadow box wasnt big enough so I took creative liberty and added pictures of my two nieces and a full family picture of my two sisters husbands, whom we now consider our family. Another picture I will include is my grandma Tonis because she was my strongest advocate and the woman I looked up to the most.

An explanation of the meaning of why you arranged your shadow box the way that you did

The meaning of the items or materials you used to represent members, family dynamics: you can have creative influence on some of these questions

Where you placed yourself within the box in relation to other family members and how you chose to depict yourself: for the longest time I felt like the odd man out and its still hard to place myself in the middle of anything, let alone my family. There really wasnt any rhyme or reason as to why I planted the photos where I did. The only photo i placed purposely to the side and as small as possible, was the photo of my biological father with my mother and I when I was two days old.

My family of origin has had a significant influence on how I view relationships, communication, and emotional connection, all of which will shape my work with couples and families. Both positive and negative experiences have contributed to my development and will impact my counseling approach.

Positive and Negative Influences

One of the positive influences from my family is the value placed on loyalty and support. I learned the importance of showing up for one another during difficult times, which can help me foster a sense of safety and trust with clients. Additionally, observing moments of healthy communication and problem-solving has given me models I can draw from in therapy.

At the same time, there were negative influences that may affect my work. For example, if conflict was avoided or not openly addressed in my family, I may initially feel uncomfortable with high-conflict couples or may have a tendency to de-escalate too quickly. Similarly, if emotions were not openly expressed, I may need to be intentional about encouraging emotional vulnerability in sessions.

Experiences That Strengthen or Hinder My Skills

My experiences navigating family dynamics have helped me develop empathy, active listening skills, and an ability to recognize patterns in relationships. These strengths can enhance my effectiveness as a counselor, especially in understanding complex relational systems.

However, these same experiences may also create blind spots. For instance, I may unintentionally normalize certain dysfunctional patterns if they resemble what I experienced growing up. I may also feel more confident working with issues I am familiar with, while feeling less prepared when faced with unfamiliar family structures or dynamics.

Biases and Prejudices

Based on my family of origin, I may carry implicit beliefs about what a healthy family or relationship should look like. These could include assumptions about roles, communication styles, or conflict resolution. It will be important for me to remain aware of these biases so that I do not impose my values on clients whose experiences differ from my own.

Presenting Problems That May Be Challenging

Certain presenting issues may be more difficult for me to work with due to my personal experiences. For example, if I experienced high levels of conflict, I may feel triggered when working with couples who engage in intense arguments. Alternatively, if my family avoided conflict, I may struggle with clients who express anger openly. Issues such as infidelity, emotional neglect, or parent-child conflict may also be more challenging depending on my personal history.

Unresolved Issues

There may be aspects of my family of origin that remain unresolved and could impact my work. For example, lingering feelings related to past conflicts, unmet emotional needs, or family roles may influence my reactions in therapy. These unresolved issues could lead to countertransference if I am not aware of them.

How do you think your experience with your family of origin will impact/ influence your work with couples and families? Including:

Positive and negative influences of your family

Experiences and influences that might strengthen your couple and family counseling skills/ experiences and influences that may hinder your ability

Bias or prejudices you may have based on your family of origin

Presenting problems than may be harder for you to work with because of your experiences with your family or origin

Issues related to your family or origin that you feel are unresolved and that still impact you

My family of origin has had a significant influence on how I view relationships, communication, and emotional connection, all of which will shape my work with couples and families. Both positive and negative experiences have contributed to my development and will impact my counseling approach.

Positive and Negative Influences

One of the positive influences from my family is the value placed on loyalty and support. I learned the importance of showing up for one another during difficult times, which can help me foster a sense of safety and trust with clients. Additionally, observing moments of healthy communication and problem-solving has given me models I can draw from in therapy.

At the same time, there were negative influences that may affect my work. For example, if conflict was avoided or not openly addressed in my family, I may initially feel uncomfortable with high-conflict couples or may have a tendency to de-escalate too quickly. Similarly, if emotions were not openly expressed, I may need to be intentional about encouraging emotional vulnerability in sessions.

Experiences That Strengthen or Hinder My Skills

My experiences navigating family dynamics have helped me develop empathy, active listening skills, and an ability to recognize patterns in relationships. These strengths can enhance my effectiveness as a counselor, especially in understanding complex relational systems.

However, these same experiences may also create blind spots. For instance, I may unintentionally normalize certain dysfunctional patterns if they resemble what I experienced growing up. I may also feel more confident working with issues I am familiar with, while feeling less prepared when faced with unfamiliar family structures or dynamics.

Biases and Prejudices

Based on my family of origin, I may carry implicit beliefs about what a healthy family or relationship should look like. These could include assumptions about roles, communication styles, or conflict resolution. It will be important for me to remain aware of these biases so that I do not impose my values on clients whose experiences differ from my own.

Presenting Problems That May Be Challenging

Certain presenting issues may be more difficult for me to work with due to my personal experiences. For example, if I experienced high levels of conflict, I may feel triggered when working with couples who engage in intense arguments. Alternatively, if my family avoided conflict, I may struggle with clients who express anger openly. Issues such as infidelity, emotional neglect, or parent-child conflict may also be more challenging depending on my personal history.

Unresolved Issues

There may be aspects of my family of origin that remain unresolved and could impact my work. For example, lingering feelings related to past conflicts, unmet emotional needs, or family roles may influence my reactions in therapy. These unresolved issues could lead to countertransference if I am not aware of them.

Conclusion

Overall, my family of origin provides both strengths and challenges in my development as a couple and family counselor. By engaging in ongoing self-reflection, supervision, and possibly my own therapy, I can continue to increase my self-awareness, manage biases, and ensure that my personal experiences enhance rather than hinder my work with clients.

Please adjust the answers to how you see fit! It is due April 26th so you do have some time.

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