Contextual Family Therapy

Question 1

Debts or Filial Responsibility

Answer 1

As an account for the child’s experience of the degrees of fairness and ethical consideration from their parents towards them, parents will either earn debts (resulting in destructive entitlement) or filial responsibility (resulting in loyalty)

Question 2

Deparentification Process

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Destructive Entitlement

Answer 3

This results when individuals experience the denial of entitlement from their family of origin, and in turn, seek what they believe to be owed to them through a different relationship- typically their family of creation.

Question 4

Key concepts

Answer 4

-First to make sure basal needs are being met before beginning therapy like Maslow
-Trustworthiness and reliability is what healthy families function on
-Not brief therapy

Question 5

Goal of Contextual Therapy

Answer 5

Focused on working through problems and individuals taking responsibility for actions and a family separated from undue guilt from legacy and taking good responsibility for actions

Question 6

Primary Contributor

Answer 6

Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagi

Question 7

Contextual

Answer 7

Contextual 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 8

Entitlement

Answer 8

What individuals are inherently due from others in their family as well as what is earned from others based upon behavior toward them

Question 9

Equitable Asymmetry

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Legacy

Answer 10

Certain attributes or qualities that are attributed to an individual as an account of being born to his or her parents. (Things that we learn about relationships and then pass down

Question 11

Loyalty

Answer 11

Central to the theory of contextual family therapy, loyalty refers to an individual’s internalized expectations of and obligations to his or her family of origin. This concept is assumed to exert a powerful influence over the individual’s functioning

Question 12

Ledger

Answer 12

The manner in which individuals within a family keep track of and balance debts and entitlements

Question 13

Merit

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Parentification

Answer 14

This term is different from parentified child in Structural family therapy. Here, it refers to a process where a child attempts to earn love from their parent by acting as their caretaker, The child takes on the role of parent for the parent.

Question 15

Psychology

Answer 15

One of the 4 dimensions of individual and relational psychology that interact with one another in Contextual Family Therapy. Psychology refers to the person’s internal experience of the world, including thoughts, desires, emotions, and meaning. As facts occur externally to the individual, psychology develops internally within the individual.

Question 16

4 primary dimensions in Contextual Family Therapy

Answer 16

Facts
Psychology
Transactions
Relational Ethics

Question 17

Multidirectional Partiality

Answer 17

This concept is similar to neutrality while expounding upon the importance that they therapist remains accountable for everyone whose well-being is potentially impacted by a therapeutic intervention. This concept elaborates that every intervention must serve the best interests of everyone involved. (Takes everyone’s perspective in the room)

Question 18

Exoneration

Answer 18

The process in which an individual restores balance within his or her ledger.

Question 19

Facts

Answer 19

one of the 4 dimensions of individual and relational psychology that interact with one another in Contextual Family Therapy. Facts refer to the stable and physical attributes that an individual are born with (Ex. gender, ethnicity, race, disabilities, cognitive functioning) and the contextual circumstances of their upbringing (ex. divorce, moving, trauma, etc.)

Question 20

Filial Loyalty

Answer 20

This concept suggests that children are inherently loyal to their family of origin

Question 21

Relational Ethics

Answer 21

One of the 4 dimensions of individual and relational psychology that interact with one another in Contextual family therapy. Relational ethics are the most significant component to contextual family therapy, and refer to the responsibility each individual has for the impact that their behaviors have on others. Contextual Family Therapy endorses a consideration for the best interests of the other in your family.

Question 22

Revolving Slate of Injustice

Answer 22

The multigenerational transmission of destructive entitlement in which one generation harms the next generation despite the fact that there was no wrong doing.

Question 23

Split Filial Loyalty

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Transactions

Answer 24

One of the 4 dimensions of individual and relational psychology that interact with one another in Contextual Family Therapy. Transactions refer to the patterns of organization and dynamics within the individual’s family system.

Question 25

Empathy

Answer 25

Understand each family member’s pain, and their perspectives

Question 26

Crediting

Answer 26

Validate each family member’s experience

Question 27

Acknowledgment of Effort

Answer 27

Trying to make positive interactions in family and acknowledging individual efforts. This helps with motivation in therapy

Question 28

Accountability

Answer 28

Having each member recognize their role in another family member’s hurt or pain.

Question 29

Lending Weight

Answer 29

When a family member is having a hard time articulating their experience and the therapist weighs in and asks if they are getting their point right