Wave 4: Systematic

Question 1

What type of approach is systematic?

Answer 1

Post-Modern

Question 2

What two theories are in the systematic approach?

Answer 2

• Family theory

- Systems theory

Question 3

What does the systematic approach say about people?

Answer 3

• people are best understood through assessing their interactions within the family they live within
• people tend to self regulate to resist change within their family unit - homeostasis
• focus on interactive parts and view them as a whole

Question 4

Where does the systematic approach believe problems come from?

Answer 4

• symptoms of how the system functions
• based on assumptions that problematic behaviour: serves a function or purpose in the family and is unintentionally maintained by the family process
• circular vs linear causality

Question 5

What are the types of problems viewed in the systematic approach?

Answer 5

• enmeshed
• disengaged
• subsystems
• boundaries
• hierarchies
• coalitions
• detouring
• parentification

Question 6

What is an enmeshed family?

Answer 6

too engaged in the family and children hold onto the values of their parents

Question 7

What is a disengaged family?

Answer 7

uninvolved

Question 8

What are subsystems in systematic?

Answer 8

used to differentiate roles and functions

Question 9

What are boundary problems?

Answer 9

rigid or diffused

Question 10

What are hierarchy problems?

Answer 10

power dynamics

Question 11

What are coalition problems?

Answer 11

alliances

Question 12

What are detouring problems?

Answer 12

detracts attention from the real source of conflict (scapegoating)

Question 13

What are parentification problems?

Answer 13

child taking on parental role

Question 14

How does the systematic approach support change?

Answer 14

• creates insight by drawing awareness to interactive patterns over generations (genogram maps)
• facilitates de-triangulation
• reframe problems as systematic
• enhances differentiation (take I position in communication)
• coaching clients to change emotional reactivity

Question 15

What is the systematic therapeutic process?

Answer 15

• therapist joins family system and maintains leadership role
• reframes problems as systematic
• highlights problems maintaining interactions
• restructuring boundaries and re-balancing hierarchies

Question 16

What are the techniques used in the systematic approach?

Answer 16

• roles and communication styles awareness
• elicit and recreate family rules
• circular questions
• genograms
• family resculpting

Question 17

What are the roles and communication styles?

Answer 17

• blamer
• distractor/irrelevant
• placator
• super reasonable
• congruent

Question 18

What is the blamer role?

Answer 18

this person acts as if he has the power in the relationship, blames others for things that go wrong. this position is designed to show dominance and is actually based on fear

Question 19

What is the distractor/irrelevant role?

Answer 19

this person does and says things that take the focus off the issue of the moment. this position highlights the power of irrelevance, in that it serves a useful purpose, in spite of its apparent absence of value

Question 20

What is the placator role?

Answer 20

this person overtly agrees with people whether he does or not, even if he is furiously angry. this “whatever you say” position devalues self in relation to the other

Question 21

What is the super reasonable role/

Answer 21

this person lacks emotion, presenting himself in a very logical way. being cut off from feelings, which have no bearing on the facts, drives this position

Question 22

What is the congruent role?

Answer 22

this person expresses feelings in congruence with what is being said, the body language, as well as the verbal language, all match the feelings

Question 23

What is family sculpting?

Answer 23

physically arrange seating to represent the person’s symbolic view of family relationships