Clinical Psychology - Family and Group therapy Flashcards
General systems theory
was originally used by biologists to describe the functioning of living and non-living systems. It predicts that all systems consist of interacting components, are governed by the same general rules, and have homeostatic mechanisms that help them maintain a state of stability and equilibrium.
Cybernetic theory
is concerned with the mechanisms that regulate a system’s functioning and distinguishes between negative and positive feedback loops
Negative feedback loops
resist change and help a system maintain the status quo
positive feedback loops
amplify change and disrupt the status quo
double-bind communication
occurs when a person receives two contradictory messages from a family member and is not allowed to comment on the contradiction
Symmetrical interactions
reflect equality and occur when the behavior of one person elicits a similar type of behavior from the other person. Symmetrical interactions can escalate in intensity and become a “one-upmanship game.”
complementary interactions
reflect inequality and occur when the behavior of one person complements the behavior of the other person. A common complementary pattern is for one person to assume a dominant role, while the other assumes a subordinate role
postmodernism
which challenges the basic premises of general systems theory, including the premise that there are universal laws that govern systems and can be discovered by scientific research. These approaches adopt a constructivist or social constructionist perspective and assume that there are multiple viewpoints and realities. They view family therapy as a shared process in which the therapist forms a collaborative relationship with the family and helps family members identify alternative ways of interpreting and resolving problems.
Differentiation
Differentiation is both intra- and interpersonal. The intrapersonal aspect is a person’s ability to distinguish between his or her own feelings and thoughts. This ability makes it possible for the person to separate his or her own emotional and intellectual functioning from the functioning of others, which is the interpersonal aspect of differentiation. A person with a low level of differentiation becomes “emotionally fused” with other family members.
Emotional Triangles
when a family dyad experiences tension, it may recruit a third family member to form an emotional triangle which helps alleviate tension and increase stability.
Family Projection Process
The family projection process refers to the parents’ projection of their emotional immaturity onto their children, which causes the children to have lower levels of differentiation.
Multigenerational Transmission Process
The multigenerational transmission process is an extension of the family projection process and refers to the transmission of emotional immaturity from one generation to the next.
Extended Family Systems Therapy (Bowen)
The primary goal of therapy is to increase each family member’s differentiation
Structural Family Therapy (Minuchin)
is based on the assumption that a family member’s symptoms are related to problems in the family’s structure, and identifies subsystems and boundaries as important aspects of a family’s structure
stable coalition
occurs when one parent and a child form an inflexible alliance against the other parent
unstable coalition
Also known as triangulation and occurs when each parent demands that the child side with him or her
detouring-attack coalition
occurs when parents avoid the conflict between them by blaming the child for their problems
detouring-support coalition
occurs when parents avoid their own conflict by overprotecting the child.
Strategic Family Therapy (Haley)
based on the assumptions that struggles for power and control in relationships are core features of family functioning and that “a symptom is a strategy that is adaptive to a current social situation for controlling a relationship when all other strategies have failed
Prescribing the symptom
involves instructing family members to engage in the problematic behavior, often in an exaggerated way.
Restraining
involves encouraging family members not to change or warning them not to change too quickly.
ordeal
an unpleasant task that a family member is asked to perform whenever he or she engages in the undesirable behavior.
Milan Systemic Family Therapy
based on the assumption that “the family as a whole protects itself from change through homeostatic rules and patterns of communication. The primary goal of therapy is to alter the family rules and communication patterns that are maintaining problematic behavior.
Circular questioning
asking each family member the same question to identify differences in perceptions about events and relationships and uncover family communication patterns. For example, a therapist might ask each member, “When mom is depressed, what does Dad do?”
Conjoint Family Therapy (Satir)
family systems seek a state of balance, with family problems arising when balance is maintained by unrealistic expectations, inappropriate rules and roles, and dysfunctional communication. The primary goal of conjoint family therapy is to enhance the growth potential of family members by increasing their self-esteem, strengthening their problem-solving skills, and helping them communicate congruently
Narrative Family Therapy
Practitioners of narrative family therapy consider a person’s problems “as arising from, and being maintained by, oppressive stories which dominate the person’s life. The primary goal of narrative family therapy is to replace problem-saturated stories with alternative stories that support more satisfying and preferred outcomes.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
EFT was designed to help emotionally distressed partners who want to strengthen their relationship and stay together. EFT is based on the assumptions that (a) emotions are essential to the organization of attachment behaviors and influence how people experience themselves and their partners in intimate relationships, (b) the attachment needs of partners are essentially healthy and adaptive but problems arise when needs are enacted in the context of attachment-related insecurities, and (c) relationship distress is maintained by the ways in which interactions between partners are organized and by the dominant emotional experiences of each partner
Functional Family Therapy
Functional family therapy (FFT) is an evidence-based treatment for at-risk adolescents (e.g., those who have conduct disorder and/or a substance use disorder) and their families. the primary goal of FFT is to replace problematic behaviors with nonproblematic behaviors that fulfill the same relationship functions.
Multisystemic Therapy
Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an evidence-based treatment that was originally developed for adolescent offenders at risk for out-of-home placement and their families, but it has subsequently been adapted for adolescents with other serious clinical problems including psychiatric disturbances, substance abuse, and childhood maltreatment. MST is provided in the family’s home and community settings where problems occur,
