Structural Family Therapy

Question 1

Who is the Founder of Structural Family Therapy?

Answer 1

Minuchin - studied at Philadelphia Child Guidance. Haley trained under him

Question 2

Who was the founder trained by?

Answer 2

Ackerman

Question 3

Subsystems

Answer 3

Individuals, dyads, triads and groups form subsystems or units within the family and perform certain functions.

Question 4

Boundaries

Answer 4

Individuals, subsystems, and families are separated from one another by boundaries. A Boundary is a hypothetical line of demarcation that serves to protect a family and its subsystems

Question 5

Rigid Boundary

Answer 5

Overly restrictive boundaries that permit little contact with outside subsystems often resulting in disengagement.

Question 6

Diffuse Boundary

Answer 6

Boundaries that are permeable and permit fluid contact with other subsystems. May be prone to enmeshment.

Question 7

Clear Boudary

Answer 7

A clear boundary between the parental subsystem and the children established the parents in leadership positions. It allows the parent and children to interact, but supports the couple in a separate relationship, with time to enjoy each other. Healthy families have clear hierarcheral boundaries that allow parents to maintain parental roles and children to maintain child roles.

Question 8

Disengaged systems

Answer 8

May be independent or isolated

Question 9

Enmeshed systems

Answer 9

Receive affection and nurturance within the family system but may risk autonomy and outside relationships

Question 10

Complementarity

Answer 10

A balanced relationship between two individuals that often results in effective teamwork. The relationship may not be symmetrical - that is equal parts- but none the less balanced.

Question 11

Hierarchy

Answer 11

The pyhsical structure of the family as determined by the systems rules, boundaries and interactional patterns.

Question 12

Intervening

Answer 12

Structural Family Therapists are continually stepping in and out of the family, raising intensity and unbalancing the system through swift and strategic interventions.

Question 13

Conflict Management

Answer 13

The families capacity to resolve conflict and negotiate effective and balanced solutions.

Question 14

Coalitions

Answer 14

When two family members join to create a coalition against one or several other family members.

Question 15

Joining and Accommodating

Answer 15

An intentional maneuver by the therapist to establish a therapeutic relationship within the family system. The therapist will adapt to the family’s communication pattern and other mannerisms to create a comfortable therapeutic space.

Question 16

Mimesis

Answer 16

An intentional maneuver by the therapist to join and accommodate with the family by replicating their body language, use of expressive language, mannerisms, and other observable behaviors to create a comfortable, trusting therapeutic space.

Question 17

Intensity

Answer 17

The therapist can achieve intensity by increasing the affective component of an interaction, by increasing the length of the dialogue or by repeating the same message in different actions thru the use of tone, volume and pacing

Question 18

Planning

Answer 18

The period in Structural Family Therapy where the the therapist hypothesizes about the structure of the family while remaining curious about its actual structure.

Question 19

Enactments

Answer 19

Having the family experiment with new ways of behaving and interacting, as instructed by the therapist, in the here and now of the therapeutic encounter.

Question 20

Spontaneous Behavior Sequences

Answer 20

Similar to enactments, except these behaviors are spontaneous as opposed to being directed by the therapist.

Question 21

Challenging Family Assumptions

Answer 21

Offers the family alternative perspectives and views on how they interact with one another.

Question 22

Who is involved in Structural Family Therapy

Answer 22

The whole nuclear family

Question 23

How long is therapy?

Answer 23

Short term, but not brief. aim to terminate therapy once functioning structure obtained. 10-20 session.

Question 24

Goal of therapy?

Answer 24

alter, reorganize and restructure family system in a way that promotes problem solving capabilities. Functioning spousal subsystem, clear boundaries between all individuals and subsystems.