Structural Flashcards
goal of structural therapy
structural changes
role of structural therapist
expert
enactment
an interaction stimulated in structural family therapy in order to observe and then change transactions that make up family structure
leading figures in structural family therapy
Salvador Minuchin and Braulio Montalvo
3 different types of boundaries
rigid, defuse, and clear
joining
a structural family therapy term for accepting and accommodating to families to win their confidence and circumvent resistance
family structure
the way a family is organized into subsystems whose interactions are regulated by interpersonal boundaries
subsystem
smaller units in families, determined by generation, sex, or function
boundary
emotional and physical barriers that protect and enhance the integrity if individuals, subsystems, and families
accommodation
elements of a system automatically adjust to coordinate their functioning; people may have to work at it
boundary making
negotiating the boundaries between members of a relationship and between the relationship and the outside world
_____ families accommodate to changed circumstances; _____ families increase the rigidity of structures that are no longer working
(1) healthy; (2) dysfunctional
hierarchical structure
family functioning based one clear generational boundaries, where the parents maintain control and authority
cross-generational coalition
an inappropriate alliance between a parent and child, who side together against a third member of the family
general steps of structural family therapy
(1) joining and accommodating, (2) enactment, (3) structural mapping, (4) highlighting and modifying interactions, (5) boundary making, (6) unbalancing, (7) challenging unproductive assumptions
Clear Boundary
A clear boundary enables children to interact with their parents but excludes them from the spouse subsystem and establishes a hierarchical structure in which parents exercise a position of leadership. Considered “normal”/healthy
Coalition, may be overt or covert. Cross-generational coalitions develop when one or both parents trying to enlist the support of the child against the other parent.
Conflict
Detouring - a type of triangulation. Detouring occurs when parents, rather than directing anger or criticism toward each other, focus the negativity on the child and the parent-child conflict thus serves to distract from the tension in the marital subsystem; sometimes called scapegoating
Diffuse boundary.
In enmeshed families boundaries are diffuse and family members overreact and become intrusively involved with one another. Enmeshed parents create difficulties by hindering the development of more mature forms of behavior in their children and by interfering with their ability to solve their own problems.
Involvement
Ov
Overinvolvement.
Rigid boundary.
Rigid boundaries are overly restrictive and permit little contact with outside subsystems, resulting in disengagement. Disengaged individuals or subsystems are independent but isolated. On the positive side, this fosters autonomy. On the other hand, disengagement limits affection and assistance.
Conflict between mother and father becomes a cross-generational coalition with the mother and child becoming enmeshed and excluding the father
An alternate but equally common pattern is for the parents to continue to argue through the children. Father says mother is too permissive; she says he’s too strict. He may withdraw, causing her to criticize his lack of concern, which in turn causes further withdrawal. The enmeshed mother responds to the child’s needs with excessive concern. The disengaged father tends not to respond even when a response is necessary. Both may be critical of the other’s way, but both perpetuate the other’s behavior with their own. The result is a cross-generational coalition between mother and child, which excludes the father.
Mother and father divorce and create a clear boundary separating the spouses but allow for contact with the children by father and mother. Mother remarries, and the family then readjusts to create functioning boundaries between the mother and children and the stepfather.
Failure to integrate the stepfather into the family leading to enmeshed boundaries between mother and children, and a rigid boundary between stepfather and the rest of the family.
Sometimes it’s hard for a mother and children to allow a stepfather to participate as an equal partner in the new parental subsystem. Mother and children have long since established transactional rules and learned to accommodate to each other. The new parent may be treated as an outsider who’s supposed to learn the “right” (accustomed) way of doing things, rather than as a new partner who will give as well as receive ideas about childrearing. The more mother and children insist on maintaining their familiar patterns without modifications required to absorb the stepfather, the more frustrated and angry he’ll become. The result may lead to child abuse or chronic arguing between the parents.
Enmeshed boundary between Mother and Johnny lead to Johnny becoming disengaged from his outside interests
Parents enmeshed with their children.
Enmeshed family leading to child developing school phobia.
Young children in enmeshed families receive wonderful care: Their parents hug them, love them, and give them lots of attention. Although such parents may be too tired from caring for the children to have much time for each other, the system may be moderately successful. However, if these doting parents don’t teach their children to obey rules and respect authority, the children may be unprepared to negotiate their entrance into school. Used to getting their own way, they may be unruly and disruptive. Several possible consequences of this situation may bring the family into treatment. The children may be reluctant to go to school, and their fears may be covertly reinforced by “understanding” parents who permit them to remain at home. Such a case may be labeled as school phobia, and may become entrenched if the parents permit the children to remain at home for more than a few days.
Parents in conflict scapegoating their child to detour conflict.
One problem often seen by family therapists arises when parents who are unable to resolve conflicts between them divert the focus of concern onto a child. Instead of worrying about each other, they worry about the child. Although this reduces the strain on father (F) and mother (M), it victimizes the child (C) and is therefore dysfunctional.
