Psych 406 Unit 12 Family Systems - General

Front 1

boundaries

Back 1

Structural fam ther: emotional barrier protecting individuals within a system

Front 2

circular questions

Back 2

Questions that focus on the relationship instead of individuals. For example, instead of "how do you feel about that?" Ask "What Jane feels depressed, how does Tarzan feel?"

Front 3

differentiation of the self

Back 3

Bowen: psych separation of intellect and emotions; independncy of self from others. Greater one's differentiation, better able to avoid dysfunctional patterns of family

Front 4

directives

Back 4

Specific instructions from therapist to clients: do this, do that. Part of structural and strategic therapies

Front 5

disengagement

Back 5

Minuchin: fam org. characterized by pscy. Isolation resulting from rigid boundaries.

Front 6

enactments

Back 6

Structural fam ther: intervention: family plays out relationship pattern so ther can observe and change transactions that make up the family structure.

Front 7

enmeshment

Back 7

Minuchin: fam structure where psych boundaries a blurred, making autonomy difficult to achieve

Front 8

family mapping

Back 8

Another term for Adler's "family constellation"

Front 9

family structure

Back 9

Functional org. of fam, determines interactional patterns among members

Front 10

family subsystems

Back 10

Part of Internal family systems (or individual systems). Some parts are good, some are bad. In structural approach (Minuchin) therapist gets involved to change these structures.

Front 11

genogram

Back 11

Schematic of fam system. Usually at least 3 generations; used to ID recurring behavior patterns within fam.

Front 12

identified client

Back 12

Fam member who carries the symptom for a family and who is Ided by fam as person with problem. In genograms, this person is the index person.

Front 13

joining

Back 13

Structural fam ther: accomodating to a family's system to help the members change dysfunctional patterns

Front 14

Multigenerational Family Therapy

Back 14

Murray Bowen's theory. Look at patterns of fam of origin. 2 Key ideas: differentiation of self and triangulation. Predictable pattenrs of relationships connects fam members across generations. Fam as emotional unit: unresolved emotional fusion must be addressed to obtain mature/unique personality.

Front 15

paradoxical interventions

Back 15

Strategic fam ther technique: ther directs fam members to continue symptomatic behavior. Change occurs through defying the directive.

Front 16

reframing

Back 16

Relabeling fam description of behavior by putting it into new and more positive perspective

Front 17

Strategic Family Therapy

Back 17

Ter approach where ther develops a specific plan and designs interventions to solve fams presenting problems

Front 18

Structural Family Therapy

Back 18

Ther approach aimed to change organization of fam to modify dysfunctional patterns and clarify boundaries

Front 19

triangulation

Back 19

Triads result in 2 again 1 experience. A is frustrated with B, but instead of talking to B, lets it out to C, who then brings it back to B.

Front 20

View of human nature

Back 20

Must see client within fam system
Lots theories of change and intervention
All parts of system must be addressed to make changes

Front 21

View or source of problems:

Back 21

Problem behavior may:
1 a) Serve a function/purpose for family
b) Unintentionally maintained by family processes
c) Be a function of family’s inability to operate productively, esp during developmental transitions
d) Symptom of dysfunctional patterns handed down acros generations.

Front 22

8 Lenses

Back 22

Internal family systems
Sequences
Organization of System
Developmental
Multicultural
Gender
Teleological
Process metaframework

Front 23

Internal family systems (or individual systems?) lens

Back 23

Richard Schwartz first
Individual is organismic system: strucutuesd, organized, subsystems.
Some parts good, some bad.
Physical, cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual
Come from social interactions/developmental experiences
Evaluative: declare something who were are
Polarized and extreme parts cause internal conflict

Front 24

Sequences (or patterns of interaction) lens

Back 24

Levels 1-4
Adaptations of systems need good leadership

Front 25

Level 1 Sequence (Face to Face)

Back 25

two or more fam members face to face
Father confronts daughter  daughter enacts hurt  Mother rescues daughter

Front 26

Level 2 Sequence (Routines)

Back 26

Supports fam function. Routine. Usually daily.
Individual roles support smooth process.
If one role stops or breaks down, whole system must ajust

Front 27

Level 3 sequence: Ebbs and flows

Back 27

Account for family adjustment to outside forces, or big changes (ie. Leaving home)
Kid leaves home, no longer distracts couple from relationship problems
Huge conflict, divorce threatened.
Child becomes symptomatic at school, returns home. Parental conflict disappears.
If level 1 and 2 are good, 3 usually also good.

Front 28

Level 4: Transgenerational

Back 28

Larger system values, rules about gender, etc. Give sense of continuity to life.
Adaptations needs good leadership.

Front 29

Organization of systems lens

Back 29

Rules, routines, rituals, expected roles, etc. Used to be called hierarchy.
Hierarchy repla ced with leadership. Parents need to lead out in mutual relationship, organize system in useful, clear ways.
Firm, but firnedly. As kids get older, shift to become more egalitatrian.
Effectively led fams have children with sense of safety, room to grow, and belief they are valued.

Front 30

Developmental lens

Back 30

Six significant transitions in traditional fam. model (now similar sets for every fam. model)
YSA leaves home
Individuals marry / cohabit to build life together
Couple has children
Children become adolescents
Parents launch children into the world and prepare themselves to live without children
Fam reaches later years where children may have to care for parents as well as their own children, and parents prepare for end of their lives.

Fam thers look for constraints and seek to remove them so natural growth possible again.

Front 31

Multicultural lens

Back 31

Dominant culture: two immediate goals:
Reinforces self and values
Minimizes power of alternative positions
This power base produces discrimination.
Multicult lens challenges dominant culture. Intros diversity to understanding of the human condition.
Challenges the idea that there is a Western norm to which others hould aspire.
Intracu and intercultural experiences. (within a culture and between cultures) respectively.
Intercultural experiences based on commonalities of experience across several cultures.

Front 32

Gender lens

Back 32

Oldest discrimation is against women.
Feminists have challenged the idea that family is good for women.
Woman more likely to sacrifice self for good of the whole
Fam ther has reconsidred many central tenets.
Advocacy stance: responsibility to challenge unequal status and treatment of women.
Hierarchy, enmeshment, unbalancing being replaced with leadership, connection conversation and collaboration.

Front 33

Teleological/goal oriented lens

Back 33

What motivates individual behavior.
Syustemic purpose of symptoms
Goals of trangulation
Uses of patterned interactions.
Reframing: putting what is known into new, more useful perspective. Helps to note motivation behind behavior.
What purpose does this symptom/process serve?
How does this behavior protect the self?

Front 34

Process metaframework

Back 34

What is happening between people: process of communication.
Process questions:
What is fam doing with time in ther?
What are fam members experiencing? What amd I experiencing with each?
What place does my informed and educated intuition have in this therapeutic process?
What is my best use of self with this family?
What is happening right now?

Front 35

{rimary characteristics

Back 35

a) Individuals best understood through assessing interaction w/ fam.
b) Symptoms are habits within family
c) One common thread: client is connected to living systems
d) Change requires considering family/relationship as a whole
e) Becvar and Becvar say “relationship therapy” is a more appropriate label.
f) Does not preclude dealing with internal problems

Front 36

Two powerful points:

Back 36

c) Systems therapists see the family as more powerful than the therapist.
d) Depression may signal both individual’s pain and the unexpressed pain of the family.

Front 37

Therapy Goals (differs by system)

Back 37

i. Some common goals, but mostly decided on by therapist and family together
ii. Global goals:
a) Intervening to enable individuals and families and relief distress.

Front 38

Role of therapist (differs by system)

Back 38

a) Integrative approach: look at fam from lots perspectives: sollboratively work out with fam. Processes that will lead to change.

Front 39

Major techniques: MOVEMENTS of systems therapists

Back 39

Usually, several sessions per movement. Sometimes, all four withing single session

Forming relationship
Conducting assessment
Hypothesizing and sharing meaning
Facilitating change