What is the theory behind this Multisystemic Therapy Worksheet?
Multisystemic therapy is an intensive family and community based intervention program that was designed for juvenile offenders but later adjusted to include adolescents displaying serious externalising behaviours and substance abuse. It targets adolescents that are at risk of being taken away from their home for being a danger to self and others. It includes a variety of therapy techniques conducted at individual and family level with the aim of reducing the youth’s criminal behaviour.
How will the worksheet help?
This worksheet aims to teach perspective taking which is an important skill needed to understand the viewpoint of others. Cultivating this skill can help adolescents evaluate the perspective of others in social settings which can avoid hostility and violent reactions.
How to use the worksheet
Have a discussion in session about the importance of perspective taking. Discuss social cues and how they can help determine the feelings and thoughts of another person. Once the topic is understood ask the client to complete the activity.
Multisystemic Therapy Worksheet
Perspective taking is a useful skill that can help you understand the point of view of others around you. It does not mean you agree with that person. It just means you understand and have accepted the fact that the other person has their own feelings, thoughts, emotions, needs etc that are different from yours.
In interpersonal interactions, remember to look for these four social cues that can give you a hint about the other person’s thoughts and feelings.
| Facial Expression: Our expressions change depending on how we feel. |
| Body Language: Our body speaks a silent language. You can tell by noticing the position and movement of body parts what a person is feeling. A confident person will stand tall while a meek person will crouch. |
| Voice Tone: How we say things are a clear indicator of what we mean to say. The meaning of the same response can change depending on how it is said. For e.g either jokingly or seriously. |
| Personal Space: This means the distance between you and the other person. Obviously a person trying to get away from you is trying to avoid you. |
Based on what you have learned about social cues describe how you can tell someone is:
| Sorry or guilty for their mistakes | Angry | Excited about a good news | Irritated |
References
You can download this worksheet here.