copyright © 2005 wadsworth group. brooks/cole is an imprint of the wadsworth group, a division of...

Copyright ©

2005 Wadsw

orth Group. B

rooks/Cole is an im

print of the W

adsworth G

roup, a division of Thom

son Learning, Inc. Family Systems Therapy

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orth Group, a division of T

homson Learning, Inc.

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (1)

The Family Systems Perspective

Individuals – are best understood through assessing the interactions within an entire family

Symptoms – are viewed as an expression of dysfunction within the family

Problematic behaviors – Serve a purpose for the family Are a function of the family’s inability to operate productively Are symptomatic patterns handed down across generations

A family is an interactional unit change in one member effects all members

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Approaches to Family Therapy

Adler: First psychologist to do family therapy; Rudolph Dreikurs

Multigenerational Family Therapy: Bowen Evolved from psychodynamic approaches Applied to schizophrenia –hospitalize entire families Focuses on patterns across generations

Human Validation Process Model: Satir Also known as conjoint family therapy Importance of connections and therapeutic relationship

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Approaches to Family Therapy

Experiential – Carl Whitaker, Satir Application of existential therapy Emphasis of therapist involvement with family

Structural-Strategic – Salvador Minuchin/Jay Haley Emphasize interaction patterns in the family including

alliances among members Not much emphasis on the past Structural – symptoms indicators of deeper problems Strategic – symptoms are both the problem to treat and

metaphor of family functioning

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Adlerian Family Therapy

Adlerians use an educational model to counsel families

Emphasis is on family atmosphere and family constellation

Therapists function as collaborators who seek to join the family

Parent interviews yield hunches about the purposes underlying children’s misbehavior


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Adlerian Family TherapyTherapy Goals

Unlock mistaken goals and interactional patterns

Engage parents in a learning experience and a collaborative assessment

Emphasis is on the family’s motivational patterns

Main aim is to initiate a reorientation of the family


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Multigenerational Family Therapy/Bowen

Patterns of behaviors and communication occur across generations A family can be best understood from a three generation perspective

Differentiation of the self A psychological separation from others in the family is a life-long process Separation while keeping a sense of belonging is necessary for personal

growth and effective communication

Triangulation A third party is recruited to reduce anxiety and stabilize a couples’

relationship (typically a child)


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Multigenerational Family Therapy Therapy Goals

To change the individuals within the context of the system

To end generation-to-generation transmission of problems by resolving emotional attachments

To lessen anxiety and relieve symptoms To increase the individual member’s level

of differentiation


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Human Validation Process Model Therapy Goals

Open communications Individuals are allowed to honestly report their perceptions Members act differently in the presence of other members

Enhancement of self-esteem Family decisions are based on individual needs

Encouragement of growth Differences are acknowledged and seen as opportunities for

growth Transform extreme rules into useful and functional rules

Families have many spoken and unspoken rules


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Experiential Family Therapy

A freewheeling, intuitive, sometimes outrageous approach aiming to: Unmask pretense, create new meaning, and liberate family

members to be themselves

Techniques are secondary to the therapeutic relationship

Pragmatic and atheoretical Interventions create turmoil and intensify what is

going on here and now in the family


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Experiential Family TherapyTherapy Goals

Facilitate individual autonomy and a sense of belonging in the family

Help individuals achieve more intimacy by increasing their awareness and their experiencing

Encourage members to be themselves by freely expressing what they are thinking and feeling

Support spontaneity, creativity, the ability to play, and the willingness to be “crazy” in order to empower members (not take themselves too seriously


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Structural Family Therapy

Developed by Minuchin working with families with illnesses

Focus is on family interactions to understand the structure, or organization of the family

Symptoms are a by-product of structural failings Disengaged families- rigid boundaries, lack of

warmth/affection Enmeshed families – diffuse boundaries, appear

supportive but thwart autonomy and independence


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Structural Family Therapy

Structural changes must occur in a family before an individual’s symptoms can be reduced

Techniques are active, directive, and well thought-out


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Structural Family TherapyTherapy Goals

Reduce symptoms of dysfunction Bring about structural change by:

Modifying the family’s transactional rules Developing more appropriate boundaries Creation of an effective hierarchical structure

• It is assumed that faulty family structures have:– Boundaries that are rigid or diffuse– Subsystems that have inappropriate tasks and

functions


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Strategic Family Therapy

Focuses on solving problems in the present Presenting problems are accepted as “real” and

not a symptom of system dysfunction Therapy is brief, process-focused, and solution-

oriented The therapist designs strategies for change Change results when the family follows the

therapist’s directions & change transactions


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Strategic Family TherapyTherapy Goals

Resolve presenting problems by focusing on behavioral sequences

Get people to behave differently Shift the family organization so that the presenting

problem is no longer functional Move the family toward the appropriate stage of

family development Problems often arise during the transition from one

developmental stage to the next

Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy - Chapter 14 (13 )

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