11. Systemic therapy Flashcards
what are family systems?
- The system is an interactional unit
- “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”
- Any influence on one part affects other parts
how are individuals best understood according to systemic therapy?
Individuals are best understood through assessing the interactions within the family
what does systemic therapy focus on?
- Focus on interaction patterns rather than content
* Focus on ‘Circular Causality’
what do families tend to do
• Families tend to self regulate to resist change – homeostasis
what are the basic assumptions of systemic therapy?
A family member’s problematic behaviour may:
o serve a purpose or function within the family
o may be a symptom of the family’s inability to function effectively in times of crisis/transition
o may be unintentionally maintained and/or exacerbated by the family
o be indicative of dysfunctional interaction patterns handed down across generations
is linear causality?
A causes B which causes C. E.g. Husband with alcoholism blames his wife because she nags. He gets bored and drinks to reduce his stress. It’s her fault. She must change her behaviour
what is circular causality?
o Where an individual’s behaviour is affecting others in the family. The family’s problems go back and forth as circular and escalating via time and frequency of problems. E.g. the husband drinks, so the wife nags him. The wife I always nagging the husband so he continues drinking. This together with other causes influences their problems. However, if the wife changes but the husband does not, it will create a pressure that hinders the wife from changing.
what did adlerian family therapy (1927) find?
Noticed that children’s development with family constellation (system) heavily influenced by birth order.
what didi Drekurs (1950, 1973) find?
When children don’t “belong” (socially) they subscribe to a “mistaken goal” – undue attention, power, revenge, avoidance (inadequacy) – which manifests as misbehaviour
who were other influences of the history of systemic therapy and what therapy did they practice?
- Murray Bowen (1978) – Main stream FT
- Virginia Satir (1983) – conjoint FT
- Carl Whitaker (1976) – symbolic-experimental FT
- Jay Haley and Gregory Bateson (1963) – strategic FT
- Cloe Madanes (1981) (with Haley) – brief problem-solving therapy
who was practiced the Multigenerational family therapy?
murray Boen (1913-1990)
what is Bowenian Family Systems Theory/Therapy considered to be?
• Bowenian Family Systems Theory/Therapy is considered the most elegant approach among systemic theories
who was bowen and what did he do?
- Bowen was a psychiatrist who did pioneering work with families of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia
- His research with families at the Menninger Clinic demonstrated the presence of intense emotional patterns
- He focused on the analysis of the process of differentiation drawing on his personal family experience
what are the central constructs of multigenerational family therapy?
- Differentiation of self (low differentiation=need for approval/permission/people pleasers)
- Anxiety contagion
- Triangulation (deliberately shifting focus to a third party)
- Multigenerational transmission of communication patterns
- Emotional cutoff
- Sibling Position (same position = similar characterstic)
what are the factors that contribute to differentiation of sellf?
o emotional separation o autonomous functioning o balance of togetherness – separation o validation of difference o adult to adult communication
on the a scale of 1-100 of differentiation from the family, what characteristics would a person between 1 and 25 have?
- No separation – enmeshed
- Emotionally needy/dependent
- Emphasis on closeness/fusion
- ‘Other’ validation
- Anxiety contagion
- Absence of autonomous thinking
on the a scale of 1-100 of differentiation from the family, what characteristics would a person between 25-50 have?
- Maintains separation in some situations
- Emotionally vulnerable
- Prioritizes other validation
- Needs frequent affirmation
- Sexual pleasing and appeasing
on the a scale of 1-100 of differentiation from the family, what characteristics would a person between 50-75 have?
- Able to maintain distance
- Emotional separation
- Prioritizes self validation
- Minimum reaction to other’s anxiety
- Enhanced autonomous thinking
on the a scale of 1-100 of differentiation from the family, what characteristics would a person between 75-100 have?
- Comfortable with differences
- Self soothing skills
- Robust identity
- Non reactivity
- Sexually assertive
what is the therapeutic process of Multigenerational FT?
- Emphasises insight
- Therapist as a ‘coach’ to
- Uses genograms to map interactive patterns over generations
what is the therapist a coach to in Multigenerational FT?
o enhance differentiation
o change emotional reactivity
o facilitate de-triangulation
how are genograms effective in Multigenerational FT?
o directs clients to take the ‘I position’ in communication
o Uses circular, process oriented questions
o Therapist is supportive but remains de-triangle
who developed the human validation process model?
Virginia Satir (1916-1988)
what therapy did Virginia Satir (1916-1988) develop under the human validation process model?
career in family therapy which has an association with human potential movement
where did Virginia Satir (1916-1988) work?
Worked at Mental Research Institute & Illinois State Psychiatric Institute. Felt unappreciated and marginalised by male family systems ‘experts’
what did Virginia Satir (1916-1988) create?
AVANTA
what is AVANTA
o The Virginia Satir Global Network (formerly AVANTA) stated mission is: “To further the creation of healthy and just relationships with self and others based on the teachings of Virginia Satir)
what are the central constructs of the human validation process model?
- Role of family in enhancing individual self-esteem
- The significance of effective communication – congruent and incongruent patterns
- The five freedoms
- Functional family rules Family rules
what are the communications styles in the human validation process model?
- The Blamer:
- The Distracter/Irrelevant:
- The placator:
- The super reasonable:
- The Congruent:
what is the balmer communicator?
This person acts as if he has the power in the relationship, blames others for things that go wrong. This position is designated to show dominance and is actually based on fear
what is The Distracter/Irrelevant: communicator?
This person does and says things that take the focus off the issue of the moment. This position highlights the power of irrelevance, in that it serves a useful purpose, in spite of its apparent absence of value.
what is the plactor communicator?
This person overtly agrees with people whether he does or not, even if he is furiously angry. This “Whatever you say” position devalues self in relation to others
what is the super reasonable communicator?
This person lacks emotion, presenting himself in a very logical way. Being cut off from feelings, which have no bearing on the facts, drives this position
what is the congruent commuicator?
This person expresses feelings in congruence with what is being said. The body language as well as the verbs language all match the feelings.
in family roles what are the characteristics of the balmer ?
finds fault, name calls, criticises
in family roles what are the characteristics of the computer ?
intellectualises and shows little affect
in family roles what are the characteristics of the distractor ?
brings up irrelevancies to take the focus away from the issue
in family roles what are the characteristics of the leveller ?
honest, direct, clear communication
in family roles what are characteristics of the pacatory ?
apologetic, tentative, and self-effacing (sometimes appears like a martyr)
what are family rules like?
- Overt and convert rules
- Flexible and rigid rules
- Co-constructed / negotiated and imposed rules
- Do-able and humanly impossible rules
- Rules that validate difference
what is the therapeutic process of career based family therapy?
- Creating an environment where all members of a family feel valued and respected
- A non-judgemental and genuine approach
- Modelling congruent communication
- Enhancing individual self-esteem
- Transforming Extreme rules to make them more functional
- Restructuring family roles to create better balance
what are the therpeutic techniques of career based family therapy?
- Family sculpting
- Family Maps
- Ropes
- Family Life fact Chronology
- Drama
- Family Reconstruction
- Reframing
- Humour
- Verbalising presuppositions
- Denominalisation
- Anchoring
what is family sculpting?
physically arrange seating to represent the person’s symbolic view of family relationships
what are family maps?
Like genograms – over 3 generations
what are ropes?
The binds and pulls of ropes are used to provide concrete representations of family dynamics
what are family life fact chronolgy?
a complete family history from the birth of the oldest grandparents to the present
what is drama?
Family members enact significant events in the family’s history (opportunity for new perspective/insight)
what is reframing?
A reinterpretation of situation to create a shift in perceptions. The therapist decreases the threat of blame by accentuating the idea of puzzlement and the idea of good intentions
what is humour?
Useful in creating perspective, circuit-breaker
what is verbalising presuppositions?
Overly stating presuppositions that are evident in a family’s behaviour. E.g. being in therapy = strong familial desire for change
what is denominalisation?
Therapists asks someone to provide behavioural examples of “concepts” (e.g. love, respect). Answer is then llinked to that person’s primary sensory – based representational system (i.e., visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) “love languages”
what is anchoring?
Links feelings to interpersonal physical experience
what did Salvador Minuchin develop?
structural family therapy
what is Minuchin’s background?
- Son of Russian Jewish emigrant in Argentina
- Imprisoned because of Zionist activities
- Served in Israel army in its fight for independence
- Obtained a medical degree in USA
- Worked with poor African slum dwellers
- Director of Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic
- Developed structural FR with Haley and Mentalvo
- Worked with psychosomatic families
- Current work as a commentator on family therapy
according to the structural family therapy, what are the structural concepts of the family?
- Family viewed as a structural unit
- family structure composed of many interlocking components
- in health families these components work on synchrony
- crises arise when the family structure is unable to cope with change
- delineates a variety of patterns of interactions within the structure
- these patterns reveal hierarchical processes
what are the structural components of the family accoring to the structural family therapy?
- Enmeshed and Disengaged families
- Subsystems
- Coalitions
- boundaries
- Hierarchies
- detouring
- Parentification
what are subsystems is a structural component of family?
used to differentiate roles and functions
what are coalitions
alliances
what are boundaries
transitional rules
what are hierarchies?
power dynamics
what is detouring?
detracts attaention from the real source of conflict
what is parentification
child taking on a parenting role
what is the therapeutic process of structural family therapy?
• Therapist joins family system in a flexible way
• therapist maintains strong, active leadership role –
o a practitioner of change
• Reframing problems as systemic
• highlighting problem maintenance interactions
• Restructuring boundaries and re-balancing hierarchies
