Family Systems Therapy

Starting on a light note, here is a funny little skit on youtube from the Simpson's going to a family therapist (I think my family can look like this from time to time)...

 

 

 

(Youtube, 2012)


But on a more serious note this is what family therapy really looks like...

(Youtube, 2009)

 

 

 

Founders: Alfred Adler (1870-1937), Murray Bowen (1913-1990), Virginia Satir (1916-1988), Carl Whitaker (1912-1995), Salvador Minuchin (b.1921), Jay Haley (1923-2007), and Cole Madanes (b.1941)

 

 Corey 2013 provides a great table below, I really like how this table was made, helps put it all in perspective...

 

                                                            Human    Experiential  Structural  Strategic

         Adlerian      Mulit-family         Validation    Symbolic       Family       Family   

Key figures: Alfred

Adler, Rudolf       Murray Bowen       Virginia     Carl            Salvador       Jay Haley

Dreikurs,                                                Satir       Whitaker    Minuchin           &

Oscar Christensen,                                                                                            Cloe

& Manford Sonstefard                                                                                   Madanes

  

Time    Present with     Present &      Here           Present      Present &      Present &

Focus: some                       past           and now                         Past               future

reference to the 

past

 

Therapy                  Differentiate       Promote        Promote     Restructure  Eliminate

Goals: enable          the self; change  growth, self-  spontaneity   Family         problem

parents as leaders;   the individual   esteem, and                       organization;

unlock mistaken       within the         connection;                       change

goals and                   context of the     help family                      dysfunctional

interactional            system;              communicate                    transactional

patterns in family;    decrease          congruently                       patterns

promotion of             anxiety             and interactively

effective parenting

                                                                                                                                              

 

Techniques: According to Corey 2013, there is a multi-layered process of family therapy which requires multiple sessions for each movement the following 4 movements are described below...

1. Forming a relationship- on first session the therapist should try to connect with the family as a unit, in which mutual respect, caring, empathy, and a genuine interest in others is primary.
2. Conducting an Assessment- first by starting with a genogram, like starting with a map of the family. The parents are listed with their name, age, and date of birth in either a rectangle or a circle. Following with the rest of the family below parents, then a deeper assessment of questions are taken. 
3. Hypothesizing and Sharing meaning- in family therapy, hypothesizing flows from the ideas and understandings generated in the assessment process. Two questions are usually formulated:

• How much faith do the therapist and the family have in the ideas they generate?
• How much of an influence is the therapist willing to be in the lives of people and families?

    4. Facilitating Change- when therapy can by viewed as a joint or collaborative
        process. Knowing the goals and purposes for our behaviors, feelings, and 
        interactions tends to give us choices about their use.

Here is an example of a genogram:

(genogramanalytics.com, 2011)

and here is an example of what a four year olds genogram might look like:

(joysysler.com)

(cartoonstock.com)

 

 

 



 References

 

Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (9 ed., pp. 433-460). Belmont, CA: BROOKS/COLE CENGAGE Learning.

 

Evan imber-black family therapy video clip [Web]. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JjcIiCJaDo

 

 

(n.d.). Family therapy. [Print Drawing]. Retrieved from http://jodysysler.com/family-therapy

(n.d.). Family therapy. [Print Drawing]. Retrieved from http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/f/family_therapy.asp

(2011). Genogram. (2011). [Print Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.genogramanalytics.com/


Simpson shorts: S3e16 family therapy [Web]. (orginal air:1989 published on youtube, 2012). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7axGxuv8mY