Multigenerational Transmission Process Bowen theory is one of human behavior. The theory views family as an emotional unit, and uses systems theory to describe interactions within the family. Bowen believed that humans are dependent and reactive to others. Family members may feel distant or disconnected from each other; this is not a fact, but merely a feeling. Family members profoundly affect each other’s feelings, actions, and thoughts, no matter how distant they may be feeling ("Bowen Center," n.d.). Bowen describes the family as a multigenerational network of relationships ("Bowen Center," n.d.). The multigenerational process describes how differences in levels of differentiation between parents and their children lead to marked differences in differentiation in a multigenerational family ("Bowen Center," n.d.). People desire attention, support, and approval from others, and react to other’s expectations and stressors. Each family has its own degree of interdependence. If one member exhibits a change in functioning, another member will follow with reciprocal changes. A family’s interdependence evolves to promote cohesion to take care of, and protect family members. Tensions can affect this process leading to problems within the family. When one member is anxious, the anxiety may spread to others in the family and escalate, leaving the family members overwhelmed or isolative. Differentiation of Self Bowen’s theory also describes a person’s ability to think and reflect, rather than respond emotionally, as differentiation of self (Nichols, 2010). Differentiation is the process of a person freeing himself from the family process to define himself. This means being able to be emotionally connected with family members... ... middle of paper ... ...to fix the relationship, but instead stays neutral and asks questions to help the family discover their own roles in the problem. In Minuchin’s structural model, the therapist changes behaviors by opening alternative patterns of interaction within the family structure (Nichols, 2010). The therapist produces change by joining the family, probing for areas of flexibility, and then activating dormant structural alternatives. The structural therapist helps family members to expand their perspectives enough to explore unfamiliar possible solutions. Works Cited Bowen Theory. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.thebowencenter.org/pages/theory/html Fishman, C. (n.d.). Intensive Structural Family Therapy. Retrieved from http://intensivestructuraltherapy.com/family-therapy/ Nichols, M. P. (2010). Family therapy concepts and methods (9 ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
According to smith and Hamon (2012), Families are considered as a whole in society. However, they believed that couples have many components in which makes up the family, if one component is missing, the family as a whole can get unbalance (Smith & Hamon, 2012). In the Brice’s family, communication was the component that was missing. The couple was not able to communicate their differences, which was what caused Carolyn and David to verbally insult each other. Smith and Hamon (2012), also explain that a person who expresses his or her feeling is considered as someone who is breaking the functions of their family system; especially if the person is focusing on the individual who is causing the problem, rather than the problem itself. In the Brice family, Carolyn could be considered the one that cause the dysfunction in the family structure because she was focusing on David as the problem of their marriage, rather than focusing of the elements that are causing their problems. Smith and Hamon (2012) explain that individuals should focus on how to solve a problem, rather than trying to find who is causing the
The CBT theoretical formulation focuses on the whole family. “As behavior therapist shifted their attention from individuals to family relationships, they came to rely on Thibaut and Kelley’s theory of social exchange, according to which people strive to maximize rewards and minimize costs in relationships” (Nichols,
Bowen incorporated a theoretical scale for differentiation evaluation. A person with a lesser degree of undifferentiation has a weak identity or weak sense of self (Fritzlan, 1990). The larger amount of undifferentiation or differentiated, a person is more fused with others and has a common sense of self. An example is a person with a strong sense of themselves has the ability to express themselves clearly, which Bowen calls the solid self (Fritzlan, 1990). Bowen indicates this type of person will not compromise their self or beliefs for their family or other people. A person on the low end of scale below tend to have their emotions and intellect blending into their life and are controlled by people’s feelings which surround them (Fritzlan, 1990).The figure below is an example of Bowen’s scale and undifferentiated and differentiated behaviors (Fritzlan, 1990).Nuclear Family Emotional Process
Gladding, S. T. (2010). Family therapy: History, theory, and practice (5th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
In understanding others, one must first understand our own family background and how it affects our understanding of the world. Conversely, family systems draw on the view of the family as an emotional unit. Under system thinking, one evaluates the parts of the systems in relation to the whole meaning behavior becomes informed by and inseparable from the functioning of one’s family of origin. These ideas show that individuals have a hard time separating from the family and the network of relationships. With a deeper comprehension of the family of origin helps with the challenges and awareness of normalized human behaviors. When interviewing and analyzing the family of origin, allow one to look at their own family of origin
Family systems have been studied since psychologists began studying people and their behaviors. The family is a dynamic system—a self-organizing system that adapts itself to changes in its members and to changes in its environment (as cited in Sigelman & Rider, 2009). Allowing the focus of a family system to grow beyond the mother and child relationship did not happen overnight. For many years, there was no connection made between other members of the family and the developmental issues of the children involved.
My theoretical approach to family therapy is very integrative as I believe families cannot be described nor treated from a single-school approach. I view humans through a humanistic and existential lens but am more technically structural and solution-based. With this integrative approach, I believe I will be the most effective in helping families grow and reach their goals.
Goldenberg, H. & Goldenberg, I. (2013). Family therapy: An overview (8th ed.). Belmont CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
Nichols, M. P. (2010). Family therapy concepts and methods (9 ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Meanwhile, Bowen described the differentiation of self as the ability of a person to separate physically and emotionally from their family of...
Understanding the components of building an effective helping relationship is fundamental. The therapeutic alliance evolves from an effective helping relationship. In family therapy the alliance, exist among the individuals, subgroups, and whole family. It is imperative for the family and clinician to have a positive relationship in order progress towards resolution of the presenting problem. In the alliance, the clinician and family work as a team. The alliance can have an impact on the outcome of therapy. Positive alliances increase the likelihood of resolution and positive outcome in therapy. A negative alliance will yield a less than expectable outcome. The therapeutic alliance hinges on the bond that is created between the client and clinician. Having a positive therapeutic alliance and solid theoretical rationale a family therapist can join hands with his or her client(s) and together can achieve goals.
Structural family therapist have exemplified within the context relational therapies that uncovers stressors in relationship between individuals (Vetere, 2001). Structural family therapy has been known to be called “interventive approach” because of the “intensity” to encourage clients to change (Hammond & Nichols, 2014).
The definition of family dynamics refers to the way members of the family interact with each other in relation to the group as a whole. A lot of influences affect the dynamics between family members such as traditions, communication styles, behavioral patterns and emotional interdependence. In Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis relates to how humans and their offspring are capable of changing and interpreting different life experiences in the family that can transform the dynamic bond.
Lester is entrenched in his beliefs that he is a loser and his wife and daughter contribute to his beliefs with their current state of hostile communication. In sessions it will be important that as the therapist that it does not appear that I am aligning with any particular family member as I work to draw out their strengths. Additionally, it may be difficult for the family members to identify strength-based goals that apply to the family as a whole, as opposed to goals that infer an individual needs to change. Lastly, one drawback of this process can be with the therapist. The intention of a strength-based perspective in therapy is to not mollify our dialogues, but to find respectful ways of having difficult conversations about family members (Zie,
Nichols, M. P. (2011). The essentials of family therapy. Boston, Ma.: Allyn and Bacon. (Original work published 5th)