Bowen Flashcards
What is different about Bowen’s theory frmo other theories we’ve talked about
Most intellectual of the theories we will talk about, he wanted to come up with a universal theory, he is technically psychodynamic but this is up for debate; he does fall into this category because he is talking about the effect of family of origin on the present
what is some background about this theory and some unique things about it
Bowen was the 1st to propose that while psychology and culture are important, they do not liberate humankind from natural forces.
-There are various forces that impact our lives and we might not even know they are there
-Ex. You broke up with someone when you were 16 and you saw them last week, Bowen would suggest there would be a physiological reaction that you cannot justify, you are not still in love with them but there is something from your past that affected who you are so it occurs
Bowen wanted a provable theory
He became disenchanted with family theory
-Felt other theories were too “out there” he wanted theories that were easier to understand and better
Bowen removed “why” from a discussion of problems. “Why” removes the relationship, it focuses on one person.
-Not interactional enough
explain individuality and togetherness to Bowen
The Emotional System involves the counterbalance of these two “life-forces.”
-This is the center force of family therapy / treatment
Why is self-observation difficult
Tunnel vision, explaining too much on the basis of too little
-We see something that could confirm something and we jump to conclusions and fail to see what other factors might impact what is going on
Cause cannot be ascribed when explaining a relationship, it does not come from one specific action
People tend to exaggerate details and give emotional responses
Emotions can take over so strongly that they wipe out their intellectual process
-Emotions need to be balanced by the intellectual side
We have to keep the focus on the relationship, we are not looking at the individual within that
explain the emotional system
Humans share with non-humans
ES is not the same as feelings
-The ES is a primal reaction, unexplained
One does not feel the emotional reactivity of cell divisions, but they do feel the ES working when losing a loved one.
Heightened anxiety increases emotional reaction and fuses emotion, feelings, and intelligence.
An Anxious person may want (intellectually) to stay calm, but will (emotionally) become flustered.
-Opposite of Whitaker who wants to up the anxiety, he believes we want to lower the anxiety so we can tease apart the factors of the emotional system
If intellect is separate from the ES people can be more aware of anxiety and their propensity to bind it.
Symptom development may result from and increase in emotional reactivity coupled with other variables. All clinical dysfunction is connected to ES and reflects an imbalance in the Emotional System.
central tenets of Bowen’s theory
-Differentiation
-Anxiety
-Triangles
-Nuclear Family Emotional Process
-Transmission of a Problem
explain differentiation of self (Bowen’s biggest concept)
The degree to which an individual manages across a life time to separate emotional and thinking systems and have choice between behavior governed by thinking or emotions. (the more differentiated we are, the better we are able to see what is emotionally affecting us vs. the intellectual way to respond to a situation)
-Objectivity involves the ability to see the self as a responding part of the larger whole.
explain a person’s level of differentiation of self (basic and functional level)
-One’s basic level is determined early and roughly matches that of one’s caregivers.
-Basic level can be expanded through disciplined effort. (usually psychotherapy)
-Functional level changes in response to relational variables. If group support is dropped, then person seems less at ease.
self differentiation in families (example)
Ex. Families where you know a sibling is less differentiated from the family than the other (less able to have their own perspective without parents caught in their family), Bowen states even within the family, the family will often find one person that is often turned into the scapegoat
-Differentiation is an emotional concept, not about physical distance
Bowen says you cannot differentiate if you live at home, this process starts when you move away from home; when you go back to visit them, you are pulled into some sort of family drama, the more differentiated you become you would leave the drama to the two people it is between, feel like you no longer have to throw yourself into the mix of it
-We can improve our differentiation with work, learning about boundaries
-However, when the anxiety clicks up because of an emotional impact, often you will end up back in the melodrama;
explain anxiety according to Bowen
Affects the balance of togetherness and individuation.
Differentiation of self is one of two principal variables to explain level of functioning, the second is chronic anxiety.
-Lower differentiation = less adaptive to stress
-Higher chronic anxiety = greater strain on adaptiveness.
-Symptom depends on stress levels and levels of differentiations
two kinds of anxiety according to Bowen
-Acute anxiety occurs in response to real threats and is time limited, people usually adapt to it well, fear of what is
-Chronic anxiety occurs to imagined threats and is not experienced as time limited, strains peoples abilities to react to it, fear of what might be
what is symptom exchange according to Bowen
-One person achieves comfort at the sense of another, one person goes to therapy and get better and then anxiety is passed on to someone else
-Thought group things were very difficult to manage, preferred to work in dyads
-If the child is the identified patient, eventually siblings can get rid of it (ex. Hey this is where I set boundaries and this is what I am doing) and pass it on to where it should be (the parents) or that the siblings can work together and differentiate
summary of the goal of anxiety in therapy according to Bowen
recognizing your role and finding a way to not need what you are getting from the emotional upset, even one person being able to lower their need for differentiation in the family could have an effect on lowering the overall anxiety
neutrality according to Bowen
Not fence-sitting or being wishy-washy
Ability to see (and understand) both sides
It is critical that we are neutral, but it is multi-directed partiality (you are literally partial to everyone, join with all sides)
-Ability to relate to a problem, but not become a part of it
-Reflected in the ability to remain calm about what occurs between others, be aware of the influence of subjectivity on what should be
More differentiated when you are capable of taking a neutral stance
explain triangles according to Bowen
When anxious, the couple will incorporate a third.
Ex. Couple with relationship trouble will have a baby
-Anyone who cannot stand the anxiety with another will find a third thing to redirect the anxiety
This will reduce anxiety
If a person can achieve emotional neutrality when in a triangle, the tension between both members in the triangle will be reduced
