605. A Family Systems Approach to Assessment w/ Dr. Krista Brittain

Click here to read the transcript In today’s episode, I speak with Dr. Krista Brittain about integrating family systems theory and therapeutic assessment into clinical practice. We explore how viewing children and adolescents within their broader systemic context moves clinicians beyond static diagnostic categories and into a deeper understanding of dynamic family interactions. Krista breaks down the four distinct family system prototypes introduced by Dr. Steve Finn: the Scapegoated Child, Sick Child, Orphan Child, and Solomon’s Child. Throughout our discussion, we examine how these prototypes help clinicians manage countertransference, navigate parent shame, and select tailored assessment tools, including consensus tasks and parent measures. Krista also shares a compelling clinical case illustrating how systemic therapeutic assessment can reframe client narratives, guide feedback, and unlock meaningful change for struggling families. Main Topics 01:29: Defining therapeutic assessment and the transactional model of child and parent development 07:52: The four family system prototypes in therapeutic assessment 11:37: Reframing narrative identity and mentalizing parents through testing data 25:59: Applying levels of feedback to dynamic family systems 33:29: Selecting assessment measures and intervention sessions for systemic evaluation 47:27: Comprehensive case study of a gifted, adopted adolescent navigating systemic shifts 01:04:23: Formulating clinical recommendations tailored to family prototypes Resources Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists Reverb : the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists Therapeutic Assessment Institute: www.therapeuticassessment.com Society for Personality Assessment: www.personality.org BASC-3 Parent Relationship Questionnaire: www.pearsonassessments.com Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory: www.upress.umn.edu/mmpi Featured Resources TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing NovoPsych brings 150+ standardized measures into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a 15-day free trial via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s! I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit <a href="https://athealth.com/the-testing-psyc