Contextual Family Therapy

Question 1

Facts

Answer 1

One of the dimensions of individual and relational psychology. It refers to the stable and physical attributes that individuals are born with (ie. gender, race, ethnicity, etc.) and the contextual circumstances of their upbringing (ie. divorce, moving, trauma, etc.)

Question 2

Psychology

Answer 2

One of the dimensions of individual and relational psychology. It refers to a person’s internal experiences of the world, including thoughts, desires, emotions, and meaning. As facts occur externally to the individual, psychology develops internally within the individual.

Question 3

Transactions

Answer 3

One of the dimensions of individual and relational psychology. It refers to the patterns of organization and dynamics within the individual’s family system.

Question 4

Relational Ethics

Answer 4

One of the dimensions of individual and relational psychology. The most significant component of Contextual Family Therapy. It refers to the responsibility each individual has for the impact of their behaviors on others. Contextual Family Therapy endorses a consideration for the best interest of others in the family.

Question 5

Loyalty

Answer 5

Refers to an individual’s internalized expectations and obligations to their family of origin. Assumed to exert a powerful influence over the individual’s functioning.

Question 6

Legacy

Answer 6

Certain attributes or qualities that are attributed to an individual as an account of being born to their parents.

Question 7

Entitlement

Answer 7

What individuals are inherently due from others in their family, as well as what’s earned from others based on their behavior toward them.

Question 8

Ledger

Answer 8

The manner in which individuals within a family keep track of and balance debts and entitlements. Essentially an accounting system that is passed down from one generation to the next.

Question 9

Contextual

Answer 9

Refers to the systemic nature of all that are impacted by the therapeutic effort. Also refers to the social and political context within a family.

Question 10

Equitable Asymmetry

Answer 10

Refers to the concept that children are not able to care for themselves and are entirely dependent upon their parents–making them incredibly vulnerable or delightfully entitled based on circumstances of their upbringing.

Question 11

Merit

Answer 11

Earned when parents are responsible and ethical with the equitable symmetry within the parent-child relationship. If they’re ethical and fair, they earn merit, which rewards them with loyalty from their childhood as they mature into adults.

Question 12

Filial Loyalty

Answer 12

Who in the family is connect to whom, how family members demonstrate/express loyalties to one another and expectations within the family. This concept suggests that children are inherently loyal to their FOO.

Question 13

Split Filial Loyalty

Answer 13

This arises when a child finds themselves in a position where they have to choose loyalty toward one parent at the expense of being loyal to the other.

Question 14

Revolving Slate of Injustice

Answer 14

The multigenerational transmission of destructive entitlements in which one generation harms the next generation despite the fact that there was no wrongdoing.

Question 15

Debts or Filial Responsibility

Answer 15

As an account for the child’s experience of the degrees of fairness and ethical consideration from their parents toward them, there will either be DEBTS (resulting in destructive entitlement) or FILIAL RESPONSIBILITY (resulting in loyalty).

Question 16

Destructive Entitlement

Answer 16

This results when individuals experience the denial of entitlement from their FOO, and in turn, seek what they believe they are owed through a different relationship–typically their family of creation.

Question 17

Parentification

Answer 17

This term differs from parentified child in Structural Family Therapy. Here, it refers to a process where a child attempts to earn love by acting as their caretaker. This child takes on the role of parent for the parents.

Question 18

Exoneration

Answer 18

The process in which an individual restores balance within their ledger.

Question 19

Deparentification Process

Answer 19

This is a two part process: 1) The therapist becomes temporarily parentified to relieve the parentified child. 2) Addresses the larger spectrum of family dynamics to work toward systemic change.