Week 11 Flashcards
Key Concepts
A central tenet to the family systems perspective is the view that individuals are connected to living systems, and change is best achieved through working with and considering these systems and relationships. Rather than denying the importance of the individual and their unique experience, family systems counsellors seek to understand how these systems influence and are influenced by the individual. Family systems counsellors seek to understand the individual and family processes in place that operate to maintain these habitual patterns of dysfunction, albeit unintentionally. Through understanding the family system and the dysfunctional patterns within, interventions can be directed towards changing behavioural patterns of family members and the family system, both of which seek to support the family system and the new behaviours of individual members.
The following table outlines the four assumptions of the family system perspective, which suggest what role an individual’s behaviour may serve. All these assumptions challenge the more traditional intrapsychic frameworks for conceptualising human problems and their formation.
Four assumptions of the family systems perspective First
assumption Second
assumption Third
assumption Fourth
assumption
Serve a function or purpose for the family Be unintentionally maintained by family processes Become a function of the family’s inability to operate productively, especially during developmental transitions Be a symptom of dysfunctional patterns handed down across generations
Techniques
Several theorists and perspectives have contributed to the family systems approach to therapy. The importance of the family unit was first stressed by Adler in his recognition of family constellations and birth order that shape our understanding of the world. Adlerian therapy adopts an educational model to counsel families, with the view that a child’s behaviour is purposeful and often directed at maintaining their connection with the family system. This approach seeks to understand the nature of an individual’s behaviour through the interactions that occur within the family. The counsellor works collaboratively with the family to uncover unproductive or ‘mistaken’ goals that help to explain and manifest in individual symptoms.
More recently, however, the family systems approach to therapy has been influenced by multiculturalism, feminism, and postmodern constructionism that emphasise the importance of a collaborative relationship and recognise that the clients (e.g. individuals, couples, or families) are the experts in their own lives. By approaching the clients from a not-knowing position, the counsellor works to become part of the system to assist members in establishing a more productive role within the family and improve here-and-now interactions between members that contribute to and maintain dysfunctional patterns.
Two of the most influential family systems theorists were Murray Bowen and Virginia Satir. Watch the following three videos to get an overview of the different theories, as listed. Use the arrows to navigate between the videos.
The first video provides quite a detailed overview of Bowen’s theory and is useful to help understand patterns across generations. It also provides a critique of this theory. In the second video, Virginia Satir explains the importance of understanding that incongruence occurs in our communication. The third video demonstrates how Satir's approach to building a relationship with a client can help them to become more honest and encourage their communication to become more congruent. Satir believed that this allows clients to become more comfortable speaking to their emotions.
Modern approaches to family systems therapy allow for a diverse range of perspectives and techniques to be incorporated into therapeutic practice to address the underlying dysfunctions in the family system. Such integrative approaches to family therapy recognise that not only is the individual best understood within the context of their family, but also that families are embedded within larger systems that affect and are affected by the family system.
Therapy from a family systems perspective involves four elements that are gradually addressed over the course of counselling. One is forming a relationship. As with previous systems approaches, modern family counsellors adopt a collaborative role with their clients that emphasises mutual respect, caring, empathy, and a genuine interest in others. Counsellors approach each member with warmth, caring, validation and encouragement to help reduce the anxiety felt by the family, providing an opportunity for each member to introduce themselves and express their concerns.
Now take a look at the remaining three elements in the following and learn more about the approach a counsellor may take from a family systems perspective, to achieve the desired outcome.
Introduction
Various patterns of power, alignment, organisation, structure, development, culture, and gender can be used to assess the dynamics of the family system, and these dynamics can be extended to the broader social context by which they may be influenced, such as those regarding gender and culture. As such, therapy from a family systems perspective involves four elements that are gradually addressed over the course of counselling.
Question: Which element of therapy from a family systems perspective would see a counsellor adopt the not-knowing approach and act as a facilitator of the process, but not the expert on the way in which family therapy should proceed?
Option 1: Conducting an assessment
Not quite. This option typically involves the construction of genograms to represent the different members of the family and their respective stories. Such pictorial representations of the family provide a clear outline of the relationships between members and any conflicts that have occurred or inherent issues within the system, providing entry points for the counsellor to begin their questioning and understand the various influences on the system and the individual members.Take a look at the other options.
Option 2: Hypothesising and sharing meaning
Correct! By adopting the not-knowing approach to therapy, the counsellor acts as a facilitator of the process but not the expert on the way in which family therapy should proceed. Through the assessment procedure, a set of ideas about the individuals, system, and situations can be generated collaboratively and respectfully, and the counsellor can express these ideas to facilitate further discussion and feedback from the family. Now take a look at the other options.
Option 3: Facilitating change
Not quite. In this option, change is facilitated jointly between the family and the counsellor with the understanding that interventions to address dysfunction are most successful when these are co-constructed by the family. By identifying the goals of and the resources available to the family and each of its members, tasks can be enacted and assigned that aim to bring the family system back into balance and allow for dysfunctional patterns to be addressed and new possibilities to be established. Take a look at the other options.
Limitations
Now that you have explored this week’s approach and applied it to two case studies, it is time to consider the limitations of family systems therapy. With your essay complete, you should turn your attention to how this theory may fit into your future professional practice.
Several limitations to the family systems perspective must be acknowledged to apply this approach effectively, such as the potential to overemphasise the importance of the system above that of the individual members. Emphasising the importance of the family system may potentially overlook unique individual characteristics of family members and downplay their individual needs and functioning. Care must also be taken in applying these models that are based on Western notions of the family system and may not consider cultural differences. Universal application of these Western models may overlook important differences in family structure, processes and function, such as the importance of extended family networks or loyalty to the family over individuality.
The trend today is toward reliance on a single theory of family therapy rather than using an integrative approach.
False
The emergence of feminist and postmodern models in therapy has moved the field of family therapy toward more egalitarian, collaborative, cooperative, co-constructing relationships.
True
Experiential family therapy relies on the expert use of directives aimed at changing dysfunctional patterns.
False
A multilayered approach to family therapy is best supported by a collaborative therapist–client relationship in which mutual respect, caring, empathy, and a genuine interest in others is primary.
True
Conducting an assessment is one of the phases of the mutilayered perspective in family therapy.
True
Understanding family process is almost always facilitated by “how” questions.
True
In terms of assessment, it is useful to inquire about family perspectives on issues inherent in each of the layers.
True
The family therapist’s skill in communicating understanding and empathy through active listening lays the foundation for an effective working relationship.
True
All change in human systems starts with understanding and accepting things just as they are.
True
A family systems perspective holds that individuals are best understood through assessing the interactions between and among family members.
True
By the late 1970s, the most used models in family systems therapy were:
structural-strategic approaches.
One of the strengths of the systemic perspective in working from a multicultural framework is:
that many ethnic and cultural groups place great value on the extended family.
