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Family Systems Therapy

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Running Head: Family Systems Therapy

Adlerian Family Therapy
Chandra S. McCray
Mississippi College

Background Information
Family systems therapy is based on the concept that individuals are best understood through evaluating the entire family. Symptoms in individuals are seen as a result in dysfunctions in their family system. The family is an interactional unit and a change in one member affects all members. Family therapists believe that an individual’s relations with family have more impact in their lives than anyone could. The family therapist uses the systemic perspective, it believes that individuals may carry a symptom from the entire family, and an individual’s functioning is an outward sign of the way a family functions. …show more content…

Adlerian family therapists characterize their approach as motivation modification rather than behavior modification. During the last half of the 20th century, Adlerian therapist developed a wide range of parenting skills and interventions that constitute what is now called authoritative-responsive parenting or democratic child-rearing (Christensen, 2004).
Based on an understanding of the family’s specific motivational patterns, parents often leave the therapy session with suggestions designed to better the family system.
Personal Reflections When reviewing different sources to write this paper I quickly concluded that this may be one of my favorite theories or therapy practice techniques. I too believe that the family system determines or shapes ones personality. Take for instance myself; I am a middle child and the first girl. I can see how in some ways I always strive for my parents to say that they are proud of me. I think this stems from the lack of attention as a child. My parents could rely on me to get good grades, have the best behavior in school, and to live a “good moral” life. Because of this I didn’t require as much work as my sister and brother. Our parents early in life taught us about our roles in the family. We understood what we were supposed to do. I also saw how my older brother’s behavior shaped my parents’ role and attitude different things would have to change at the last minute according to his behavior and

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