PYC4808 Assignment 3 Portfolio 2026 – Due 30 September 2026

CASE STUDY: THE NAIDOO FAMILY

The Naidoo family was referred to a university-affiliated psychology clinic following concerns about the behaviour and emotional wellbeing of their 16-year-old daughter, Maya. The referral was initiated by Maya’s school teacher, after she was described as increasingly withdrawn, had missed several days of school, and had experienced a significant decline in her academic performance. Her mother, Priya, reported that Maya had become “completely unmanageable” and that she “doesn’t listen to anyone anymore.”

Priya says: “We need someone to fix Maya before she ruins her future.”

Raj agrees that Maya needs “firm boundaries.”

Maya disagrees: “They brought me here because I’m the easiest person to blame.”

The family consists of:

• Raj Naidoo, 48 years old, father
• Priya Naidoo, 45 years old, mother
• Maya Naidoo, 16 years old, daughter
• Ethan Naidoo, 11 years old, son
• Asha Naidoo, 73, Raj’s mother, who lives with the family

Raj works as a senior manager for a large logistics company. He works long hours and is frequently away from home for several days at a time. He describes himself as “the provider” and believes that his primary responsibility is to ensure that the family is financially secure. He says that he does not “believe in over-discussing problems” and becomes visibly irritated when family members become emotional during sessions.

Priya works part-time as a bookkeeper from home. She describes herself as being “the one who holds the family together.” She is highly involved in the children’s schoolwork, friendships and daily activities. She says that Raj is “never around when the difficult things happen” and that she therefore has to make most decisions regarding the children.

Raj disagrees with this description. He says Priya “undermines” him by making decisions without consulting him and then expects him to “come in and be the bad guy” when the children misbehave.

Maya is a Grade 10 learner. She was previously described by her parents as responsible, high-achieving and “the easy child.” Over the past year, however, she has become increasingly oppositional. She has started staying out later than agreed, has been caught vaping by her parents, and has recently begun refusing to attend family gatherings.

During the first session, Maya says:

“They act like I’m the problem, but I’m not the one fighting all the time.”

When asked what she means, she explains that her parents argue frequently about her behaviour. She says that when her parents argue, her mother usually comes into her bedroom afterwards and talks to her for hours about how disappointed she is in Raj.

Maya says:

“Mom tells me everything. I know things about Dad that I’m not supposed to know.”

She reports that her mother sometimes asks her whether she thinks Raj is “being a good father” and whether she agrees that he is “too controlling.” Priya denies that she puts Maya in the middle. She says: “Maya is mature. She understands what is going on. I don’t tell her anything she doesn’t already know.”

Raj strongly disagrees and says Priya has “turned Maya against me.”

Asha, Raj’s mother, has lived with the family for approximately seven years. She moved into the home after the death of her husband. Raj believes that having his mother in the home is important because “family should look after family.”

Asha is highly involved in family life. She prepares dinner most evenings, disciplines Ethan when she believes he is disrespectful, and frequently comments on Maya’s clothing, friendships and behaviour.

Asha describes Maya as:

“A difficult girl who has forgotten her values.”

She believes Maya’s problems began when Priya “became too soft.” Priya, however, believes Asha interferes excessively.

During one session, Priya says:

“There are three adults in this house and somehow I’m always the one who gets blamed.”

Asha responded:

“If you had done your job properly, I wouldn’t have to say anything.”

Raj remains silent.

When the therapist asks Raj what he thinks about the disagreement between his mother and wife, he says:

“I don’t want to get involved. They are both strong women.”

The parental relationship

Raj and Priya have been married for 19 years. They describe their relationship as “fine until the children started becoming difficult.” When asked about their marriage independently of parenting, both become uncomfortable.

Raj says:

“There isn’t much to discuss. We are both busy.”

Priya becomes tearful and says:

“We’ve been living like housemates for years.”

When the therapist asks Priya whether she feels emotionally supported by Raj, she responds:

“Who else am I supposed to talk to?”

Raj becomes visibly irritated and says:

“This is exactly what I mean. Everything becomes about me being the problem.”

The therapist notices that whenever Raj and Priya begin discussing their relationship, Maya interrupts, changes the subject, or raises an issue concerning her brother.

The siblings

Ethan is described as a “sweet” and “sensitive” child. He frequently becomes anxious when his parents argue. When this happens, he goes to Maya’s bedroom and asks her to “make Mom and Dad stop fighting.”

Maya says that she often takes Ethan to the park or watches television with him until the adults calm down.

Priya describes Maya as “very protective of Ethan.”

Raj believes Maya “babies him” and says this prevents Ethan from developing independence.

Asha believes Ethan is “the only child in the house who still respects authority.”

Ethan rarely expresses his own opinions during family discussions.

QUESTIONS

Section A: Question 1 – Ecosystemic Conceptualisation [30 marks]

Using an ecosystemic perspective, formulate the Naidoo family’s presenting difficulties.

Your answer should:

1. Describe the presenting problem. (4 marks)
2. Indicate the identified patient. (1 mark)
3. Explain how the family’s difficulties can be understood as relational rather than located exclusively within Maya. Include in your answer, a description of the following first order cybernetic (FOC) concepts, with examples from the case for each concept. (15 marks)
   • Rules and boundaries in the family
   • Triangles
   • Style of relationships
   • Negentropy and entropy
4. In relation to the case study above, explain the concept of change from a first-order cybernetic perspective and describe what the role of the therapist would be. (10 marks)

Section B

Question 2 [15 marks]

Using Salvador Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy model, briefly describe the model, and explain the concepts listed below, as they relate to the Naidoo family. In your answer, define and apply each concept by using examples from the case study.