Praxical.Psych
Session simulator

Systemic: the first family session

Four people, one identified patient, and a family that wants you to fix him. What you do in the first twenty minutes decides whether there is a treatment at all.

Systemic & Family TherapyadvancedSession 1 · Referred for school refusal~60 min

What you are practising

  • 1Decline the identified-patient frame without alienating the family
  • 2Join before challenging
  • 3Track a sequence circularly
  • 4Use circular questioning and enactment
  • 5Recognise when safeguarding overrides systemic method

Briefing

Who is in the room

Nadia (46), Ross (49), Kit (16), Iris (12). Nadia made the appointment and has telephoned twice. Kit has not attended school for six weeks and will not say why.

The first decision was made before the session

Convening the whole family rather than seeing Kit alone is already an intervention: it declines the family’s hypothesis before a word is said. Expect to be told, more than once, that you have the wrong people in the room.

The case

The Harkness family

Nadia (46), Ross (49), Kit (16), Iris (12)

Referred over Kit’s school refusal; six weeks of near-total non-attendance.

Read the full case first

The phases

  1. 1

    Joining

    Be accepted before you change anything.

  2. 2

    The sequence

    Track it circularly until it returns to the start.

  3. 3

    Enactment

    Have them do it rather than describe it.

  4. 4

    What the systemic frame does not cover

    Assess Kit individually, with explicit terms.

Educational use only

Praxical.Psych is a teaching tool. It is not medical, clinical, psychological or legal advice, not a diagnosis, not treatment, not supervision, and not a credential. Nothing here creates a clinician–patient or solicitor–client relationship. Every patient, case, transcript and simulated session is fictional. Clinical and legal requirements vary by jurisdiction and change over time — verify anything that bears on a real decision against your own regulator, statute and current professional guidance, and consult a qualified professional.

Do not enter real patient information. If you or someone else is in crisis: US & Canada 988 · UK & Ireland 116 123 · Australia 13 11 14 · elsewhere findahelpline.com · immediate danger, your local emergency number.

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Before you begin

What Praxical.Psych is, and is not

Praxical.Psych is an educational tool. It teaches the theory, evidence base and clinical method of psychotherapy at the level of an advanced survey course, and it lets you rehearse a complete session in a simulator.

It is not medical, clinical, psychological or legal advice. It cannot diagnose or treat anyone, and it does not state the law where you practise — requirements differ by jurisdiction and change. Nothing here creates a clinician–patient or solicitor–client relationship.

  • Every patient, transcript and case in this app is fictional — a composite written for teaching. None depicts a real person.
  • Praxical.Psych is not therapy, not a substitute for supervision, and not a credential. Competence to practise comes from training, supervised hours and licensure.
  • Scores from the instruments here are for learning how they behave. They are not a diagnosis and not a risk assessment, and must not inform a decision about a real person.
  • Do not enter real patient information. Everything you type stays in this browser, but that is not the same as a compliant clinical record system.
If you are in crisis

In the US and Canada, call or text 988. In the UK and Ireland, call 116 123 (Samaritans). Elsewhere, find a local line at findahelpline.com. In immediate danger, use your local emergency number.

Read the full disclaimer