chapter 4 - Bowen Family Systems Therapy An Intergenerational Approach to Family Therapy

Question 1

what is a fused relationshoip

Answer 1

a relationshiop that does not afford any autonomy (very emotionally reactive)

Question 2

what did BOWEN say are the two counterbalancing life forces

Answer 2

individuality and togetherness

Question 3

what are the 5 concepts of BOWEN’s multigenerational network of family systems

Answer 3

differentiation of self
triangulation
multigenerational emotional processes
emotional cutoff
societal emotional processes

Question 4

define differentation of self

Answer 4

ego strength - response over reaction. flexible and adaptive thinking

Question 5

what emotion creates triangles

Answer 5

anxiety

Question 6

how is triangulation presented in a couple

Answer 6

due to the anxiety it creates deflection and avoidance perpetuating the underlying issue rather than allowing a direct approach to the matter.

Question 7

what response does fusion cause from the children

Answer 7

parents are too much so they are emotionally cut off

Question 8

define emotional cutoff

Answer 8

removing emotional conectivity with another so it is all projected onto another

Question 9

what 4 things result from a fused family

Answer 9

emotional distance
physical/emotional challenges
conflict
projection of issues onto kids

Question 10

what is the primary task of the leaving home stage from CARTER AND MCGOLDRICK

Answer 10

separate from family without cutting them off (balanced approach)

Question 11

what is the primary task of the joining of families through marriage stage

Answer 11

commitment to new couple (Transforms both of their systems)

Question 12

what stage has the highest divorce rate

Answer 12

families with young children

Question 13

what iissue is likely to come up for parents whne they are launching their childrne and moving on

Answer 13

midlife crisis

Question 14

what creates disorcers

Answer 14

too much stress due to lacking differentiation (less resilient/less mature)

Question 15

what increases functional differentiation (resiliency)

Answer 15

quality of current relations

Question 16

to BOWEN what causes disorders

Answer 16

emotional fusion between generations (reactive, rather than critical thinking)

Question 17

where do symptoms occur the most (think x and y axis)

Answer 17

when vertical anxieties (x axis) meet with horizontal stress (y axis - transition points in life)

Question 18

are people likely to mate with others of similar levels of differentiation

Answer 18

yes

Question 19

what is the major goal of therapy for BOWEN

Answer 19

client to understand themselves and solve their own issues with a focus of the therapist on the processes and the strucutres (network of triangulation)

Question 20

what are the 2 steps to breaking down triangles

Answer 20

increase ability to manage stress

fortify functioning by increased ability to operate with less stress

Question 21

2 primary mechanisms of change in BOWEN

Answer 21

distringuish thinking vs. feeling
identify one’s role in the interpersonal process
(increased understanding)

Question 22

define genogram

Answer 22

schematic diagram that shows our relationships of a family system

Question 23

what technique does the BOWEN theory use mainly

Answer 23

process questions (slow down people to think and feel about how they are living)

Question 24

what ist he most common triangle during early marriage

Answer 24

in law triangle

Question 25

define wedding gift triangle

Answer 25

husband turns relationship he has with his mother into the relationship he has with his wife (wife bcomes new mom)

Question 26

define the olyalty alignment triangle

Answer 26

during marriage whereas partner and parents remain too close and spouse is left outside of relationship

Question 27

describe dominant father in law triangle

Answer 27

wife and her idealized father criticize her husband. (her father is a living myth)

Question 28

define relationship experiment for BOWEN

Answer 28

experiment with new responses to things so that they are not always emotionally reactive

Question 29

what does focus on the content say about the therapist

Answer 29

they are emotionally entangled (non objective)

Question 30

how do you address a pursuer-distancer dynamic

Answer 30

address the pursurers want to pursue (their inner emptiness) never chase a distancer

Question 31

how do you prevent yourself from being triangulated

Answer 31

recognize countertransference and differentiate yourself.

Question 32

what kind of language demonstrates neutroality for the therapist

Answer 32

i statements (allows couple to be autonomous and define self to one another)

Question 33

what are 3 ways we might recognize triangulation

Answer 33

repetitive pattern that is reactive and automatic