Family standing hand-in-hand on the beach Family systems therapy draws on systems thinking in its view of the family as an emotional unit. When systems thinking—which evaluates the parts of a organization in relation to the whole—is applied to families, it suggests behavior is both often informed by and inseparable from the operation of one'due south family of origin.

Families experiencing conflict within the unit of measurement and seeking professional help to address information technology may find family unit systems therapy a helpful approach.

  • The Evolution of Family unit Systems Therapy
  • Family unit Systems Therapy Approaches
  • Family Systems Therapy and the Genogram
  • 8 Interlocking Concepts ofFamily unit Systems Theory
  • How Can Family Systems Therapy Assist?
  • Limitations and Concerns

The Development of Family Systems Therapy

Family unit systems therapy is based on Murray Bowen's family systems theory, which holds that individuals are inseparable from their network of relationships. Like other psychoanalysts of his time, Murray Bowen was interested in creating more scientific and objective treatment processes as an alternative to conventional diagnostic frameworks and pathological language. Bowen believed all therapists had experienced challenges within their family of origin and that an awareness of this could help therapists normalize man behavior for people in treatment.

Bowen introduced family systems theory in the late 1960s after years of enquiry into the family patterns of people with schizophrenia who were receiving treatment and the patterns of his own family unit of origin.

Traditional individual therapy frequently addresses the individual's inner psyche in order to generate change in relationships and other aspects of life. Bowen'southward theory suggests it is beneficial to accost the structure and behavior of the broader relationship system, which he believed to play a part in the germination of character. According to Bowen, changes in beliefs of 1 family member are likely to have an influence on the way the family functions over time.

Family Systems Therapy Approaches

Many forms of family therapy are based on family systems theory. Family unit systems approaches generally fall under the categories of structural, strategic, or intergenerational:

  • Structural family therapy, designed by Salvador Minuchin, looks at family relationships, behaviors, and patterns as they are exhibited within the therapy session in order to evaluate the construction of the family. Employing activities such as function play in session, therapists also examine subsystems within the family structure, such equally parental or sibling subsystems.
  • Strategic family unit therapy, developed by Jay Haley, Milton Erickson, and Cloe Madanes, amidst others, examines family processes and functions, such as communication or problem-solving patterns, past evaluating family behavior exterior the therapy session. Therapeutic techniques may include reframing or redefining a problem scenario or using paradoxical interventions (for example, suggesting the family unit accept action seemingly in opposition to their therapeutic goals) in guild to create the desired change. Strategic family therapists believe change can occur rapidly, without intensive analysis of the source of the problem.
  • Intergenerational family therapy acknowledges generational influences on family and private behavior. Identifying multigenerational behavioral patterns, such as management of anxiety, can help people meet how their current problems may exist rooted in previous generations. Murray Bowen designed this approach to family unit therapy, using it in handling for individuals and couples every bit well as families. Bowen employed techniques such equally normalizing a family'due south challenges by discussing similar scenarios in other families, describing the reactions of private family members instead of interim them out, and encouraging family members to respond with "I" statements rather than accusatory statements.

Family Systems Therapy and the Genogram

A genogram, or pictorial representation of a family's medical history and interpersonal relationships, tin can exist used to highlight psychological factors, hereditary traits, and other pregnant issues or past events that may impact psychological well-being.

Bowen used genograms for both cess and handling. Showtime, he would interview each fellow member of the family in order to create a detailed family unit history going back at least three generations. Bowen and so used this data to assist highlight important information too as any behavioral or mental health concerns repeating beyond generations. He initially believed it took three generations for symptoms of schizophrenia to manifest within the family, though he afterwards revised this estimate to ten generations.

Eight Interlocking Concepts of Family Systems Theory

Eight major theoretical concepts form the foundation of the Bowenian arroyo. These concepts are interconnected, and a thorough understanding of each may be necessary in order to sympathise the others.

These theoretical constructions include, in no particular lodge:

  1. Differentiation of self, the core concept of Bowen'south arroyo, refers to the manner in which a person is able to dissever thoughts and feelings, respond to anxiety, and cope with the variables of life while pursuing personal goals. An private with a high level of differentiation may be better able to maintain individuality while nonetheless maintaining emotional contact with the group. A person with a low level of differentiation may experience emotional fusion, feeling what the group feels, due to insufficient interpersonal boundaries between members of the family. Highly differentiated people may be more likely to achieve contentment through their own efforts, while those with a less-adult self may seek validation from other people.A teenager sits on sofa with parents and shows them how to use a laptop
  2. An emotional triangle represents the smallest stable network of human being relationship systems (larger relationship systems tin can exist perceived as a network of interlocking triangles). A two-person dyad may exist for a time just may become unstable as feet is introduced. A three-person system, however, may provide more resources toward managing and reducing overall anxiety within the group. Despite the potential for increased stability, many triangles institute their own rules and exist with 2 sides in harmony and 1 side in disharmonize—a state of affairs which may pb to difficulty. It is common for children to become triangulated within their parents' relationship.
  3. The family unit projection process, or the transmission of a parent's anxiety, human relationship difficulties, and emotional concerns to the child within the emotional triangle, may contribute to the evolution of emotional issues and other concerns in the child. The parent(due south) may start focus anxiety or worry onto the child and, when the child reacts to this by experiencing worry or anxiety in turn, may either effort to "fix" these concerns or seek professional assist. All the same, this may oft have farther negative impact as the child begins to be further affected by the concern and may get dependent on the parent to "fix" information technology. What typically leads to the most comeback in the child is management, on the office of the parent(s), of their ain concerns.
  4. The multigenerational transmission procedure, co-ordinate to Bowen, depicts the style that individuals seek out partners with a similar level of differentiation, potentially leading certain behaviors and atmospheric condition to be passed on through generations. A couple where each partner has a low level of differentiation may have children who accept fifty-fifty lower levels of differentiation. These children may somewhen accept children with fifty-fifty lower levels of differentiation. When individuals increment their levels of differentiation, according to Bowen, they may be able to break this pattern, achieve relief from their symptoms of low differentiation, and prevent symptoms from returning or occurring in other family members.
  5. An emotional cutoff describes a state of affairs where a person decides to best manage emotional difficulties or other concerns within the family system past emotionally distancing themselves from other members of the family. Cutting emotional connections may serve every bit an endeavor to reduce tension and stress in the relationship and handle unresolved interpersonal bug, merely the finish result is often an increment in anxiety and tension, although the relationship may be less fraught with readily apparent conflict. Bowen believed emotional cutoff would lead people to place more importance on new relationships, which would add stress to those relationships, in plough.
  6. Sibling position describes the tendency of the oldest, centre, and youngest children to assume specific roles within the family unit due to differences in expectation, parental discipline, and other factors. For example, older children may be expected to act as miniature adults within the family setting. These roles may be influenced by the sibling position of parents and relatives.
  7. The societal emotional process illustrates how principles affecting the emotional system of the family unit besides affect the emotional arrangement of gild. Individuals in society may feel greater anxiety and instability during periods of regression, and parallels can exist noted betwixt societal and familial emotional part. Factors such as overpopulation, the availability of natural resource, the health of the economy, and so on can influence these regressive periods.
  8. The nuclear family unit emotional process reflects Bowen's belief that the nuclear family tends to feel issues in 4 main areas: intimate partner conflict, problematic behaviors or concerns in one partner, emotional altitude, and impaired functionality in children. Feet may lead to fights, arguments, criticism, under- or over-performance of responsibilities, and/or distancing behavior. Though a person's particular belief system and mental attitude toward relationships may impact the development of problems according to human relationship patterns, Bowen held them to be primarily a outcome of the family unit emotional system.

How Can Family Systems Therapy Help?

Family systems therapy has been used to treat many mental and behavioral health concerns. In general, it may be considered an effective approach for those concerns that appear to relate to or manifest within the family of origin. Family systems therapy has been shown to be constructive with families, couples, and individuals.

This approach may exist helpful in addressing conditions such equally schizophrenia, alcohol and substance dependency, bipolar, anxiety, personality issues, depression, and eating and food issues.

Limitations and Concerns

Though Bowenian family unit systems therapy is a popular manner of treatment that both therapists and people in treatment have attested to the effectiveness of the approach, at present there is a express base of empirical evidence backing the approach. Though the testify base is growing, more than information—particularly from objective sources—may assist confirm its efficacy.

A 2nd criticism of the arroyo is the seemingly unwavering neutrality of its practitioners. Some mental health experts believe that by remaining neutral, unaffected, or silent at all costs, practitioners of family systems therapy may be giving tacit approval to whatsoever harmful behaviors individuals in therapy may be exposing themselves or other people to.

References:

  1. Baege, M. (2005). Bowen family systems theory. Retrieved from http://www.vermontcenterforfamilystudies.org/bowen_family_systems_theory
  2. Brownish, J. (2008). Is Bowen theory yet relevant in the family therapy field? Journal of the Counsellors  and Psychotherapists Association of NSW Inc, iii, 11-17. Retrieved from http://www.thefsi.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Is-Bowen-Theory-still-relevant-in-the-Family-Therapy-field.docx.pdf
  3. Brown, J. (2012). Growing yourself upward: How to bring your best to all of life'southward relationships (3-5). Wollombi, NSW: Exisle Publishing. Retrieved from http://www.thefsi.com.au/united states/bowen-theory
  4. Family Solutions Found. (2015.) Strategic & Systemic. Family Solutions Institute MFT Study Guide (Chapter four). Retrieved from http://world wide web.mftlicense.com/pdf/sg_chpt4.pdf
  5. Introduction to the genogram. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.genopro.com/genogram
  6. ​Kerr, K. E. (2000). One family's story: A primer on Bowen theory. Retrieved from https://www.thebowencenter.org/theory/viii-concepts
  7. Winek, J.L. (2010). Systemic family therapy: From theory to practice. London: SAGE Publications, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/29841_Chapter5.pdf