04_Family Therapy: Minuchin

Question 1

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy: Main Concepts

Answer 1

Power hierarchies

Boundaries

Rigid Triads

Enmeshment

Question 2

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Boundaries

Answer 2

Barriers or rules that determine the amount of contact allowed between family members

Question 3

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Result of Rigid Boundaries

Answer 3

Disengagement / isolation

Question 4

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Result of Diffuse/ Permeable Boundaries

Answer 4

Enmeshment = overly dependent / close relationships

Question 5

Minuchin’s Three Rigid Triads

aka, Chronic boundary problems

Answer 5

Detouring

Stable Coalition

Triangulation

Question 6

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Detouring

Answer 6

Parents direct focus on child by either:

overprotecting

blaming (scapegoating) child for family’s problems

Question 7

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Stable Coalition

Answer 7

Parent and child gang up against the other parent

Question 8

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Triangulation

Answer 8

Each parent demands that the child side with them against the other parent

a.k.a. “Unstable coalition”

Question 9

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

View of Maladaptive Behavior

Answer 9

Inflexible family structure prohibits healthy adaptation to maturation and situational stressors

Question 10

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

“Psychosomatic Families”

Answer 10

Child’s symptoms (e.g. diabetes, anorexia) help diffuse conflict by diverting attention away from it

Question 11

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Therapy Goals

Answer 11

Restructuring the family = primary long-term goal

Question 12

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Therapy Techniques

Answer 12

Three overlapping steps:

Joining

Evaluating the Family Structure

Restructuring the Family

Question 13

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Theoretical Approach

Answer 13

Action precedes understanding

Here and now, directive, concrete approach

Emphasis on changing behaviors rather than fostering insight

Question 14

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Joining

Answer 14

Therapist develops therapeutic system by joining family in position of leadership and blending

Tracking: identifying family’s values, themes, life events

Mimesis: adopting family’s affective and communication style

Question 15

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Evaluating the Family Structure

Answer 15

Once therapist has joined the family, they develop a structural diagnosis and treatment goals based on:

Transactional patterns (develop a structural map)

Power hierarchies

Boundaries

Question 16

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Restructuring the Family

Answer 16

A variety of techniques are used to deliberately unbalance (stress) homeostasis in order to facilitate transformation of family structure:

Enactment

Reframing

Question 17

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Enactment

Answer 17

Restructuring technique

Family members role-play relationship patterns

Patterns are identified and altered

Question 18

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

Reframing

Answer 18

Restructuring technique:

Relabeling behaviors so they can be viewed in more positive ways

Question 19

Minuchin’s Structural Family Therapy:

“Psychosomatic Families”: Three Characteristics

Answer 19

High enmeshment that limits autonomy

Low tolerance for conflict

Overprotectiveness