Experiential Therapy: Symbolic-Experiential, Human Validation Process, Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy, Internal Family Systems Flashcards
Experiential Models
◦ Some Psychology Experiential Models
- Gestalt therapy
- Psychodrama
- Roger’s client centered therapy
- Encounter group movement
◦ Humanistic, existential view of humankind
◦ Emphasis on emotional experience vs. intellectual reasoning
◦ Psychological health= individual growth, freedom of action, and
open expression
◦ Problems exist when emotional expression is blocked so people
cannot authentically be themselves
◦ Goal: “unblock honest emotional expression in families…and to open
individuals to their inner experience…helping them be more fully
human”
- Develop a heightened sense of competence, well-being, and self
esteem
CFT Experiential Models
◦ Symbolic Experiential
◦ Satir Human Validation Model
◦ Emotionally Focused Therapy
◦ Internal Family Systems
Stance of the therapist
◦ Foster open communication and spontaneity
◦ Self-disclosure and authenticity
- Accessibility as regular people
◦ Emphasize here-and-now experiences
◦ Address unfinished business
◦ Existential encounters: therapist willing to both receive and disclose
reactions in session with family
- Model non-avoidance
- Provocatively increase stress and emotional intensity to push for
breakthrough of affect
- Serves as model for here-and-now (alternately supporting and
challenging family members)
Treatment Interventions
◦ Guided by belief that people are naturally creative, loving, and
productive if free from constraint
◦ Full participation from therapist
- Focus on here-and-now
- Alternating challenge and support for family members
◦ Interventions aimed at increasing ability to experience emotions and
encourage more genuine interactions
- Ex: family sculpting, family drawings, symbolic drawing of life space,
role-playing
Symbolic-Experiential Therapy
Carl Whitaker
◦ Psychiatrist at Emory University
◦ Provocative interventions
◦ Existential themes: freedom, choice, self-responsibility, anxiety, and
awareness of death
◦ Interactional metaphor: therapist-client symbolic relationship
- Parent imago: therapist’s role to client
- Goal to terminate therapy in adult-to-adult relationship
Normal Development in Symbolic-Experiential means…
◦ Flexible, integrated family
◦ Interactions across generations maintain sense of history
- Generational roles are separate
- “As if structure”: can experiment in different roles as long as there
is understanding of symbolism
* Metacommunication: communication about communication
◦ Raised in atmosphere that supports feelings, natural creativity, and
individual growth and choice
◦ Assimilation and accommodation – regression and reintegration
- Normal processes of change
- Negotiation of life tasks (coupling, etc)
Dysfunction in Symbolic-Experiential means…
Several circumstances:
◦ Spouses struggle over whose FOO culture will dominate
◦ Unable to accommodate to developmental changes
◦ Degree of craziness:
- Driven crazy
- Going crazy
- Acting crazy
◦ Fixation of triangles (clash of FOO cultures)
◦ Teaming roles (self-sacrifice)
More Symbolic-Experiential info
Interactional metaphor: therapist-client symbolic relationship
◦ Parent imago: therapist’s role to client
◦ Goal to terminate therapy in adult-to-adult relationship
Use of therapist’s personality and spontaneous reactions prioritized over technique
Co-therapists
◦ Counterbalancing countertransference
◦ Expert/coach, not a teammate
Sometimes required 2-3 generations to be seen in therapy
Symbolic-Experiential - Battle for structure
◦ Therapist decides who should attend and assumes the position as
leader
◦ Blocks family members from typical patterns of behavior
◦ Therapist must win the battle for structure
Symbolic-Experiential - Battle for initiative
◦ Therapist communicates responsibility for treatment belongs to the
family
◦ Family must win the battle for initiative
Symbolic-Experiential - Assessment
First interview
◦ Entire family 2-3 generations; whole system must participate
◦ Gains sense of whole system/patterns/roles/dynamics
◦ Makes assumptions about family roles re: power, distance, alliances,
etc.
Therapist implicates the whole family in the problem
◦ Raising anxiety for suprasystem
◦ Causes are circular and so are changes
Avoids diagnosing
◦ Therapeutic double-bind
Symbolic-Experiential - Goals & Treatment
Goal: Establish family members’ sense of belongingness and provide
freedom to individuate
1. Increase stress level
2. Development of family nationalism
3. Expand relationships with extended family
4. Expand relationships to culture and community
5. Develop sense of family boundaries
6. Separate generations
7. Family learns to play
8. Develop a we-they, therapist-family split
9. Explode the myth of individuality
10. Each member should be more of him/herself
Human Validation Process Model
Virginia Satir
Training director at MRI: 1950s
Added humanistic element to MRI emphasis on communication
Satir Growth Model:
◦ Enhancing awareness and understanding of communication
patterns
◦ Building self-esteem
◦ Enhancing congruence and tapping internal resources for external
change
Emphasis on communication, inter-connectedness, and healing power
of love and touch
The more self-aware, the more able to communicate honestly
Human Validation Process Model - The Primary Triad
◦ Self
◦ Context
◦ Other
Within the Primary Triad, children learn family rules about:
- Safety
- Their bodies
- Their lovability
- Their ability to love
Children’s identities are the outcome of the Primary Triad
- Self-esteem
◦ Positive: foundation of individual and family mental health
◦ Low: contributes to many family problems
- Coping mechanisms
- Stress patterns
- Feelings of inclusion and exclusion
Normal development in the Human Validation Process Model means…
◦ Nurture and open communication in healthy families
◦ Give affection freely
◦ Genuine care for one another