Family Systems Therapy

Dr. Alfred Adler

Dr. Murray Bowen

Dr. Virginia Satir

Dr. Carl Whitaker

Dr. Salvador Minuchin

Dr. Jay Haley

Dr. Cloe’ Madanes (Haley)

Basic Assumption

Serve a purpose for the family Conflict

Be a function of the family’s inability to operate productively The Cause

Be handed down across generations

Primary Goal of Therapy

To bring about change in the family system, which is assumed to produce change in the individual members of that family unit…

Adlerian Family Therapy

Basic Assumption: Both parents and children become stuck in repetitive negative interactions, which become motivators for the type of behavior displayed by the entire family…

EX: Arguing, Tobacco & Alcohol Use, Trouble with authority, etc…

Family Power & Authority

P

F

1 2 3 1 32

P

F

TYPICALTYPICAL DYSFUNCTIONALDYSFUNCTIONAL

2

Decision

Maker

Decision

Maker

Role of Therapist

The role of the therapist is that of a “Collaborator” who actually seeks to join the family unit…

Goals of Adlerian Family Therapy Unlock mistaken goals and interactional

patterns Engage parents in a learning experience

and joint assessment Of the family

Place emphasis on the family’s motivational patterns What makes them tick

To initiate a reorientation of the family Teach them new ways

Multi-Generational Family Therapy: Murray Bowen

Bowen the original developer of mainstream family therapy

A family can be best understood when it is analyzed from at least a three-generational perspective…

Basic Concept of Differentiation of Self & Triangulation

Differentiation of SelfThe psychological separation of

intellect and emotion and independence of self from others

TriangulationEliciting the support of a third

party to lessen emotional tension between other family members

Central

To

Therapy Model

Multi-Generational Goals

To change the individuals within the system To end generation-to-generation

transmission of problems by resolving emotional attachment

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

differentiation

Human Validation Process Model: Virginia Satir

Her approach emphasizes: Communication Emotional Experiencing And, stresses the involvement of the

therapist with a family

The model is called: “Con-Joint Family Therapy”

Validation Process

Enhancement and validation of self-esteem Family Rules Congruence and openness in communication Sculpting Nurturing Triads Family Mapping and Chronologies

Goals of Conjoint Therapy Open Communication

Individuals are allowed to honestly report their perceptions

Enhancement of Self-Esteem Family decisions are based on individual

needs Encouragement of Growth

Differences are acknowledged Transforming extreme rules into useful and

functional rules Families have many spoken and unspoken

rules

Experiential Family Therapy:Carl Whitaker

Choice Freedom Self-Determination Growth Self-Actualization

This approach stresses:

Therapist Emphasis

Unmask pretense, create new meaning, and liberate family members

Techniques are secondary Creates family turmoil

Phases of Family Therapy

Engagement Involvement Disentanglement

Goals of Experiential Family Therapy

Individual autonomy Achieve more intimacy Encourage free expression Promote spontaneity, creativity, the

ability to play, and the willingness to be “Crazy”

Structural Family Therapy:Salvador Minuchin

An approach to understanding the nature of the family, the presenting problem, and the process of change…

An approach that stresses action over insight…

Family Structure

Basic Family Family Sub-Systems

Spousal sub-system Mother/father sub-system Sibling sub-system Extended family sub-system

Strategic Family Therapy: Jay Haley

Focus is on solving problems in the present

Therapy is brief Therapist designs strategies Change results when family follows

therapist directions

Goals of Therapy

Resolve presenting problem Change Behavior Shift family organization Move family toward an appropriate

stage of development