Studying Family Systems Theories Over The Past Two Semesters

Thought lecher and the course reading material, this semester has increased my knowledge about a variety of techniques and theories. While reading, The Family Crucible: The Intense Experience of Family Therapy, there were several themes that could be commonly characterized in family therapy and the scenario of this book. Some of these techniques were, triangulation, resistance, transference, stress, and using or having a scapegoat (singling out one individual). Furthermore, some of the theories connected from this course to The Family Crucible: The Intense Experience of Family Therapy were, General Systems Theory, and Family Systems Theory.

When viewing this family in a Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) lens, we would focus on the solutions rather than the problem. Although the initial assessment would be similar to that of structural and strategic therapy, all of these issues would be explore, we would focus on the solutions rather than the problem. Although the initial assessment would be similar to that of structural and strategic therapy, all of these issues would be explored in a way that allowed for less “problem talk” and more solution based ideas.

This paper evaluates the Structural Family Therapy model and its impact on the Emotionally Focused Therapy by Sue Johnson. This paper will discuss the concepts of therapy utilized within the Structural Family Therapy model and how Sue Johnson utilized many of its methods when constructing Emotionally Focused Therapy model. The history of family therapy will be evaluated and the goals of family therapy. Research has proven that due to these clinical practices, families and couples are allowed to evolved issues in which they face into healthy relationships by evaluating patterns in behaviors and past events in their lives. Therapy focuses on the correction of the dysfunctional family as a cohesive unit and does not place focus on the individual. Therefore we find the psychotherapy as a family unit deems to be more effective than previous practices of an isolated session with only the patient and therapist.

In terms of a system, the meaning is a consistent arrangement of things connected to form unity or to operate as a whole. These systems are dated back in origins to the 1950’s and 1960’s. In this theory we must understand an individual’s family and how it works for that family daily in the community, neighborhood, social aspect, and etcetera. When one part of the system changes, the whole system changes. When everything is balanced it is said to be in equilibrium or homeostasis which seemingly is a good thing (Poorman, 2003). There are many skills

When looking specifically at the Mental Research Institute 's (MRI) Interactional Family Therapy, it is stated that "researchers zeroed in on the family interaction sequences in all families in an effort to understand how faulty communication patterns might lead to family dysfunction" (Goldenberg & Goldenberg, 2013, p. 304). From a health and pathological standpoint,

Family systems therapy is one of the newer counseling techniques that are not used as much as many of the other counseling theories. Studies showing the efficacy of treatment are limited; however, those that have been conducted show promise. According to a study on problematic behavior in Research on Integrative Family and Systems Treatment, there was a significant decrease in the problems in the child after family treatment was incorporated (Frasier, Grove, Lee, Green, & Solovey, 2014) and secondary studies have shown a decrease in anxious symptoms after modeling behavior in the home was incorporated (Fisak & Grills-Taquechel, 2007).

Family Systems Therapy practices under the idea that all clients are connected to a larger living system—their family, and that they can best be understood by assessing the interactions they have with their family. Therefore, they believe that actions of one family member will affect all other members of the family. Also, because the family plays such an important role in human behavior family therapists see symptoms as the client’s way of expressing a set of habits or patterns that they experience within their family (Corey, 2013).

The application of a family systems approach is recognized by clinicians in psychiatry and psychotherapy as one of the most effective tools used to draw attention to family contexts and understand family concerns. This use of systemic thinking provides the clinician with a model by which to consider numerous factors that impact the family structure, the relationships and interactions within the family, and how these factors influence and control the behaviours of those members. Although a number of different theoretical models were developed over the years since the 1950’s (Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, 2016), there exists an underlying understanding that the family unit is at the core of emotional functioning.

The counselor or therapist has several theoretical approaches that can be used and applied in the treatment process as well. In the words of Yarhouse, he indicates, “The philosophical assumptions underlying solution-focused family therapy can be difficult to identify, since it is, uniquely atheoretical.” According to de Shazer, “There is no explicitly identified model of normal family development. Indeed, proponents of solution-focused family therapy emphasize making no assumptions about what is “normal” for a family, nor does it concern itself with a model of abnormal family functioning: The theory has nothing whatsoever to say about “problems, complaints,

Structural Family therapy (SFT) grew from the Family Systems Theory (FST) paradigm. The FST paradigm asserts that individual behavior cannot be changed without changing the influence of those within the system (Watzlawick, Beavin, & Jackson, 1967). Bateson (1972) held the belief that all life was interconnected and influencing one another. This was a major shift from the singular individualistic view that therapy held in the past. FST expanded the family system from that of only a nuclear family to include family of origin, extended families and families of choice. Hecker, Mims, and Bougner (2015) further explained that family systems are more than the individuals they encompass, they are also influenced by the systems within its environment. Social and community systems are examined

An overwhelming body of research shows that family therapy, regardless of the theoretical framework, can lead to successful outcomes in families similar to the outcomes found in individual therapy. According to Lebow (2000), families who enter therapy with fewer problems and a wider array of strengths make bigger strides in therapy. Additionally, it has been shown that therapists who involve the parents in the communication process early and communicate directly with the parents about their concerns from the outset, have a higher rate of retention and completion of therapy (Marchionda & Slesnick, 2013). It is imperative that a therapist to have breadth of knowledge in theory and a proven

Developed through the communications theory, Strategic Family Therapy (SFT) works to solve specific problems within families by focusing on the behavior of the members. Families are encouraged to display a sense of homeostatic equilibrium; yet, some families are trapped in a dysfunctional pattern of behavior through communication. This particular therapy works to increase positive-feedback/ strategies while decreasing negative-feedback/strategies. The strategy promotes identifying and refining specific patterns of communication that maintain recurrent problems.

Individuals do not exist or live in a vacuum. They go to school, play, live, and work with other individuals. The majority of anthropologists agree that one of the distinctive characteristics of the human race is that they are social beings. The social group that appears to be most pervasive and universal in the way it forms human behavior is the family. For counselors, psychologists, and social workers the rising awareness of the essential impact of families on their patients has led to the development of the family systems

Chapters 1 in 2 in Extraordinary Relationships gave a good introduction on how crucial relationships are and what to expect from future chapters. One statement that stayed with me is “In the realm of the purely personal-after food, water, and shelter-the quality of relationships most often determines the quality of life” (Gilbert, 1992, p. 3). This statement sums up how crucial and necessary human relationships are in life and how they lead to a well-balanced life. There were many concepts presented throughout the chapters. Two concepts that stood out to me were family systems theory by Dr. Murray Bowen and the Individuality and togetherness forces. Dr. Murray Bowen had a unique way of thinking, he had an idea that “the basic unit of emotional

During the semester we have touched upon three important theories relating to social work and the social environment. Eriksonian theory, role theory and family systems theory have crucial aspects in understanding a person’s development. Eriksonian theory brings a positive outlook about people’s ability to change, the belief that clients have a sense of good judgment to do well and succeed. Erikson believed that if children had a healthier ego, the more driven they are to move on to the next sage of development and to new opportunities. According to this theory, every person is required to pass through a series of eight interrelated stages throughout their life span. He also says how personality continues to develop throughout life. Each individual is impacted in a different way than someone else by his or her environment. Role theory helps to explain behavior based off of social interactions. It’s the way of a person acts by being personally defined by a parent, teacher, friend, stranger, etc. Depending on how a person’s behavior is taken by an on looker, they can either be accepted by society or rejected by perceiving themselves as a negative trait. Family systems theory is the view of a family dynamic and how the core group undergoes evolvement in structure and function. Systems help to understand the relationship between different complex variables. Those complex variables include daily challenges and various tasks in life. The theory states that to understand a family,