chapter 4 - Bowen Family Systems Therapy An Intergenerational Approach to Family Therapy Flashcards
what is a fused relationshoip
a relationshiop that does not afford any autonomy (very emotionally reactive)
what did BOWEN say are the two counterbalancing life forces
individuality and togetherness
what are the 5 concepts of BOWEN’s multigenerational network of family systems
differentiation of self
triangulation
multigenerational emotional processes
emotional cutoff
societal emotional processes
define differentation of self
ego strength - response over reaction. flexible and adaptive thinking
what emotion creates triangles
anxiety
how is triangulation presented in a couple
due to the anxiety it creates deflection and avoidance perpetuating the underlying issue rather than allowing a direct approach to the matter.
what response does fusion cause from the children
parents are too much so they are emotionally cut off
define emotional cutoff
removing emotional conectivity with another so it is all projected onto another
what 4 things result from a fused family
emotional distance
physical/emotional challenges
conflict
projection of issues onto kids
what is the primary task of the leaving home stage from CARTER AND MCGOLDRICK
separate from family without cutting them off (balanced approach)
what is the primary task of the joining of families through marriage stage
commitment to new couple (Transforms both of their systems)
what stage has the highest divorce rate
families with young children
what iissue is likely to come up for parents whne they are launching their childrne and moving on
midlife crisis
what creates disorcers
too much stress due to lacking differentiation (less resilient/less mature)
what increases functional differentiation (resiliency)
quality of current relations
to BOWEN what causes disorders
emotional fusion between generations (reactive, rather than critical thinking)
where do symptoms occur the most (think x and y axis)
when vertical anxieties (x axis) meet with horizontal stress (y axis - transition points in life)
are people likely to mate with others of similar levels of differentiation
yes
what is the major goal of therapy for BOWEN
client to understand themselves and solve their own issues with a focus of the therapist on the processes and the strucutres (network of triangulation)
what are the 2 steps to breaking down triangles
increase ability to manage stress
fortify functioning by increased ability to operate with less stress
2 primary mechanisms of change in BOWEN
distringuish thinking vs. feeling
identify one’s role in the interpersonal process
(increased understanding)
define genogram
schematic diagram that shows our relationships of a family system
what technique does the BOWEN theory use mainly
process questions (slow down people to think and feel about how they are living)
what ist he most common triangle during early marriage
in law triangle
define wedding gift triangle
husband turns relationship he has with his mother into the relationship he has with his wife (wife bcomes new mom)
define the olyalty alignment triangle
during marriage whereas partner and parents remain too close and spouse is left outside of relationship
describe dominant father in law triangle
wife and her idealized father criticize her husband. (her father is a living myth)
define relationship experiment for BOWEN
experiment with new responses to things so that they are not always emotionally reactive
what does focus on the content say about the therapist
they are emotionally entangled (non objective)
how do you address a pursuer-distancer dynamic
address the pursurers want to pursue (their inner emptiness) never chase a distancer
how do you prevent yourself from being triangulated
recognize countertransference and differentiate yourself.
what kind of language demonstrates neutroality for the therapist
i statements (allows couple to be autonomous and define self to one another)
what are 3 ways we might recognize triangulation
repetitive pattern that is reactive and automatic
