Vocabulary Terms Flashcards
A learning process
Milan systemic
Milan family therapists viewed the use at of interventions as nothing more thank a learning process in which the therapist tests hypotheses and interventions through trial and error as they learn about the family.
A system
Cybernetics
A unit bounded by a set of interrelated elements and which exhibits coherent behaviors.
Activating constructive anxiety
Symbolic-experiential
A symbolic experiential therapist’s effort to reframe symptoms as efforts toward building competence by focusing on the positive attributes of anxiety as a means toward self growth.
Affective confrontation
Symbolic-experiential
The therapist’s intentional confrontation with the family where he or she will directly and openly share his or her subjective emotional experience of working with the family.
Affective intensity
Structural
Increasing the emotional intensity of the system to encourage structural change.
Aligning with parental generation
Strategic and structural
A technique directed at strengthening the parental hierarchy and reinforcing that parents are in charge of the children. The therapist will break neutrality and intentionally align with the parental subsystem.
Amplifying or positive feedback loops
Cybernetics
These increase change in a family’s homeostasis (morphogenesis). They attempt to change these systems from its steady state to a new steady state or balance.
Analogical message
Milan systemic
A metaphorical or symbolic message (process)
Analogic communication
Communications theory
Has little structure, but is rich in content such as a child’s kinetic family drawing.
Attachment
EFT
The individual’s basic need for trust and security, significantly influenced and developed throughout infancy and early childhood per the child’s relation to his or her primary caregiver. Attachment in early childhood influences relationship styles through adulthood.
Attentuating or negative feedback loops
Cybernetics
These reduce change in an existing homeostasis.
Battle for initiative
Symbolic-experiential
After the therapist wins the battle for structure, the family must win the battle for initiative. That is, realize and demonstrate that they are responsible for change, not he therapist.
Battle for structure
Symbolic-experiential
Whitaker stated that the therapist must first win the battle for structure if therapy is to be effective - this entails determining who attends the session, what time sessions are, how frequently sessions occur, and for how long. If the family is not willing to meet these expectations set by the therapist, then they are not prepared to invest in the growth process and change would be unlikely.
Beginner’s mind
Solution focused
This concept refers to the therapist’s stance in Solution-Focused therapy. It is important that the therapist maintains an open mind which lends itself to possibilities, while being careful not to exert expertise which limits possibilities.
Bilateral pseudo-therapy
Symbolic-experiential
Occurs when family members attempt to play therapist to one another-this is avoided.
Bilateral transference
Symbolic-experiential
A therapist’s intentional maneuver to adapt to the language, accent, rhythm, or posture of the family.
Blamers
Satir
One of Satir’s four dysfunctional communication styles. Often disagree with others and hold others responsible for things not going their way. Blamers often feel insecure and powerless, and feel that they must go to extreme measures- verbal and/or physical aggression- for anyone to really listen to them. Here, the self and the context are acknowledged, while the other is not.
Body, mind, and feelings
Satir
Satur’s belief that the mind, body, and feelings interact and influence communication processes at both the verbal and nonverbal level.
Bonding
EFT
Attachment theory’s term for the process in which individuals form a connection in a relationship that satisfies the primary need for attachment.
Boundaries
Structural
Structural
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.
Boundaries
Cybernetics
Cybernetics
These are theoretical lines of demarcation in a family that define a system as an entity and separate the subsystems from one another and the system from its environment.
Boundary interface
Cybernetics
Regions between each subsystem of the family and between the family and the suprasystem
Boundary making
Structural
An intervention in which therapist’s reinforce appropriate boundaries and diffuse inappropriate boundaries by adapting the interactional patterns of the family’s structure.
Bridge maneuver
Sex therapy
This intervention calls for the manual stimulation of the female in an effort to produce orgasm. This would gradually decrease as treatment progresses as partners begin to fill that role.
Case research (case studies)
Research methods and techniques
An in depth investigation of a problem in one or more real-life settings over an extended period of time
Centrifugal
Assessment
A measure on The Timberlawn Model suggesting that family members look to get their needs met outside of the family system.
Centripetal
Assessment
A measure on The Timberlawn Model suggesting that family members look to get their needs met within the family system.
Challenging family assumptions
Structural
Offers the family alternative perspectives and views on how they interact with one another.
Challenging the symptom
Structural
Offers the family alternative ways of perceiving the role of the symptom in relation to the family’s structure.
Change is constant
Solution-focused
Solution-focused therapies view that change is inevitable and constant, that the client’s situation is always in flux although these changes often go overlooked.
Circular causality
Cybernetics
In determining the origins of problems, general systems theory departs radically from traditional, linear causality. This is different than linear causality and acknowledges that what two things do, say, or feel mutually influence one another in a recursive, circular relationship.
Circular questioning
Milan
The therapist asks one family member to comment on the interactions of two other family members to create circularity within the system and help the therapist build a more elaborate hypothesis.
The circumplex model
Assessment
An objective assessment tool measuring levels of cohesion, flexibility, and communication within family systems.
Clear boundary
Structural
A clear boundary between the parental subsystem and the children establishes the parents in leadership positions. It allows the parents and children to interact, but supports the couple in a separate relationship, with time to enjoy the mature activities of recreation and pleasure. Healthy families have clear generational, hierarchical boundaries that allow parents to maintain parental roles and children to maintain child roles.
Clients as consultants
Narrative
In narrative therapy, after clients have discharged, the therapist would welcome them back to serve as consultants on current cases. This would reinforce their growth and maintain the collaborative stance of the therapist.
Closed systems
Cybernetics
Are more isolated and resistant to interactions with the environment.
Co-therapist
Symbolic-experiential
Whitaker would always work with a co-therapist, as he believed this allowed him to be more crazy in session as he could rely on his co-therapist to ground him. In symbolic-experiential therapy, the co-therapy team was used as a therapeutic tool.
Coaching
Bowen
Bowen used this term to identify what he believed his role to be with clients as he coached them through the process of differentiation of self. He used the metaphor of “coach” to exemplify that he is responsible for getting the process started, but that the actual work must be done by the client.
Coalitions
Structural
When two family members join to create a coalition against one or several other family members.
Coital alignment technique (CAT)
Sex therapy
An intervention used to increase mutual stimulation through full body contact (male learns to position and maneuver on top of the woman)
Collaborative case notes
Narrative
In narrative therapy, the therapist may write case notes collaboratively with the client towards the end of each session to ensure that he or she was correctly capturing the essence of the client’s experience of the session.
Communication
Satir
Satir
In Satir’s approach, all forms of behavior are considered communication and need to be tended to by the individual communicating as well as the therapist
Complainant
Solution focused
One of the three types of clients in solution focused therapy. Complainants are willing to acknowledge that there is a problem, but unwilling to acknowledge their role in it and instead keep focus on others
Complementarity
Structural
A balanced relationship between two individuals that often results in effective teamwork. The relationship may not be symmetrical but it is balanced
Complementary relationships
Communications theory and MRI systemic approach
Based on differences that fit together
Compliments
Solution focused
Solution focused therapist’s will intentionally and consistently compliment and reflect upon client’s efforts, strengths, and improvements throughout the entire discourse of therapy.
Computers
One of Satir’s four dysfunctional communication styles. Computers are often overly rational, level headed, analytical, and speak in a matter-of-fact manner. Computers often fear the vulnerability associated with expressing their true feelings. Here, the context is acknowledged, but the self and other are not.
Conflict management
Structural
The family’s capacity to resolve conflict and negotiate effective and balanced solutions.
Constitutional self
Narrative
The concept that the self is fluid, constantly constructed and deconstructed through interaction with others and the environment.
Construct
Research methods and techniques
An abstract concept that is specifically chosen (or created) to explain a given phenomenon.
Construct validity
Research methods and techniques
Examines how well a given measurement scale is measuring the theoretical construct that it is expected to measure.
Contextual
Contextual family therapy
Contextual refers to the systemic impact of all that are impacted by the therapeutic effort. Also refers to the social and political context within the family.
Counterparadox
Milan systemic
An intervention used to unravel a family’s double bind message by referring to their dysfunction as legitimate and necessary, and as so, instructing the family not to change.
Countertransference
Object relations theory
The therapists tendency to attribute qualities that reflect unresolved grievances from a previous relationship on to a client.
Craziness
Symbolic-experiential
Falls into three categories of being driven crazy, going crazy, or acting crazy. Different orientations of craziness as exhibited in dysfunctional families.
Customer
Solution focused
One of three types of clients in solution focused therapy. Customers acknowledge that there is a problem, are willing to accept their role in it, and are engaged in putting forth effort toward change.
