Invisible Loyalties: Nagy And Spark's Contextual Therapy Theory

Clinical Conceptualizing

Contextual therapy theory includes a significant number of new conceptual terms developed to better describe relating within intergenerational family systems work. Families, and relationships in general, are positioned within a moral and ethical context, although this context is based in the family’s relational reality rather than in an external concept of right and wrong. In Invisible Loyalties, Nagy and Spark developed the concept of an intergenerational ledger which creates a family legacy as a bridge between generations, stretching trust or lack of trust across a span of lifetimes and family history (Boszormanyi-Nagy & Spark, 1973). Contextual theory views problems in families as arising when there is a breakdown

Nagy was well grounded in psychological theory as well as medical practice, and worked closely with many leaders in the field before developing contextual therapy (Frank, 1981). His depth of understanding and his skill at conceptualizing are evident in the detailed and specific way he conceptualizes relationships and intergenerational family

The four main dimensions of relational reality are facts, individual psychology, transactional systems, and relational ethics. Facts are the basic aspects of family history such as race, class, gender, etc. which also includes any past trauma or hardship that families have faced (Wilburn-McCoy, 1993). Individual psychology is the subjective aspect of each family member including their motivations, need for love, power, or belongingness, loyalties, abilities, and factors of their existence independent of the family (Dutta, 2014). The third aspect of transactional systems uses a family systems perspective to assess the family’s transactional patterns, rules, roles, and maintenance of homeostasis (Dutta, 2014). Relational ethics is the most important and complex dimension, involving fairness, loyalty, and trust, as well as the components of trust which are giving credit as it is due, responsible responding, and fair distribution of relational burdens and benefits (Fowers et al., 1997; Wilburn-McCoy, 1993). The ontic is the self in relation to others as a distinct being, and is based in an I-Thou relationship (Ducommun-Nagy,