History and Background Flashcards
Theodore Lidz
1940s Study of families of Schizophrenics
Introduced concepts of
• Schism = Division of family into two antagonistic and competing groups
• Skew = One partner in marriage dominates the family as a result of serious
personality disorder in one of the partners
Nathan Ackerman
1950s
- Wrote, The Psychodynamics of Family Life, 1958
- Began treating client mental disorders through family process dynamics
Gregory Bateson
–Formulated controversial yet influential theory of dysfunctional communication called:
Double Bind
Double Bind
Created by Gregory Bateson
-Two seemingly contradictory messages may exist on different levels and lead to confusion or schizophrenic behavior on the part of the individuals receiving those messages.
Milton Erickson
1950s Established “Brief Therapy”
Carl Whitaker
1950s
- Risked violating the conventions of traditional psychotherapy.
- Published work in dual therapy and conjoint couple therapy.
Murray Bowen
(1950s)
- Began holding therapy sessions with all family members present as part of a research project on Schizophrenics
- Elaborated on the theory that previous generations influence mental health of families.
- Emotional Reactivity
- Discovered when troubled families were brought together they had difficulty maintaining their identities.
- Described this as an undifferentiated family ego mass.
- Worked to help them establish appropriate boundaries and avoid projecting and triangulating.
Jay Haley
1960s
- Began to formulate Strategic Family Therapy
- Emphasis on gaining and maintaining power during treatment
- Founding editor of the Family Process, the first journal in the field of family therapy
Salvador Minuchin
(1960s)
- Used his own form of family therapy with urban slum families.
- Reduced recidivism rate for delinquents in school.
- Trained local members of the black community as paraprofessional family therapists.
- Cultural differences often make it difficult for white middle class therapists to relate successfully to urban blacks and Hispanics.
Virginia Satir
1960s
- Social work background
- Gained prominence in the Mental Research Institute
- Unique in being the only woman pioneer of family therapy.
- Focused on the importance of self-esteem, compassion and congruent expression of feelings.
John Bell
1960s
- Started using group therapy as a basis for working with families.
- Structural program of treatment that conceptualized family members as strangers.
R.D. Laing
1970s
- > Coined the term “mystification”
- Describes how families mask what is going on between family members.
- “Presence of a conflict of some kind that is being evaded.”
Rachel Hare-Mustin
1970s
- Wrote article, Feminist Approach to Family Therapy, in 1978
- Goal of therapy is to involve the whole family
- Facilitate the growth of a strong woman who has enhanced control over her resources.
- Increase the ability of women to work together politically to make societal changes.
1980s Women who came to forefront:
- Monica McGoldrick
- Carolyn Attneave
- Peggy Papp
- Peggy Penn
- Cloe Madanes
- Froma Walsh
- Betty Carter
Monica McGoldrick and Randy Gerson
- Published, “Genograms: Assessment and Intervention”
- Popularized the use of genograms.
